Low-Income Americans More Often 'Very Happy' Than Middle Class: Poll

Despite high unemployment and a national foreclosure crisis, most Americans still feel happy, according to a recent poll by Harris Interactive.

The poll, conducted in mid-May, asked 2,184 U.S. adults if they agreed with both positive statements, such as "my relationships with friends bring me happiness," or with negative statements, such as "my work is frustrating." Because most people agreed with the positive statements and disagreed with the negative ones, the survey found that 83 percent of Americans feel "very happy" or "somewhat happy," 33 percent and 50 percent, respectively. 17 percent of respondents were found to be "not happy."

Based on results from previous years, it would appear the Great Recession has had little impact on the happiness of Americans. Since last year, the percentage of those who felt "very happy" has remained the same at 33 percent, and during the 2008-09 height of the recession, an even higher percentage said they were "very happy," at 35 percent.

But it's not the poorest Americans that are least happy. When broken down by income group, it's those earning between between $75,000 and $99,999 that were least satisfied, with only 29 percent found to be "very happy." Those making the least, under $34,499, were actually the third happiest income bracket out of five.

People earning $100,000 or more yearly, were the happiest, with 37 percent feeling "very happy."

The findings lend support an article by economists Daniel Kahneman and Alan B. Krueger, which appeared in Science magazine in 2006. "People with above-average income are relatively satisfied with their lives," they wrote. "But [they] are barely happier than others in moment-to-moment experience, tend to be more tense, and do not spend more time in particularly enjoyable activities."

Still, despite the steadiness of happiness, Americans are stressing over their finances more than ever. 68 percent of respondents agreed with the statement "I frequently worry about my financial situation," the highest percentage of any year the survey was first taken since 2008. Only 30 percent disagreed.

Comments

[Mayce Rosario]

01:28 PM on 07/04/2011

"i think i want to be a farmer now [-...-]v pssh thats a lie. their not happy, no money = no sales in products. people no jobs = no money = hungry people = lose in production and business."

true or false ??

[Bxblasta]

04:41 PM on 06/30/2011

Wow I swear Huff post is a think tank conditioning tool. Lets convince the people that you will be more "happy" as a serf.

[bradenton]

11:40 AM on 06/27/2011

That's because the lower class are all on government taxpayer subsidies that the Middle Class is going broke to pay for. No surprise with this poll. Just don't tax the multi-millionaires. They'd be very sad.

[blindsquirl]

02:11 PM on 06/29/2011

YOUR words:
"That's because the lower class are all on government taxpayer subsidies that the Middle Class is going broke to pay for."
The TRUTH is; The middle-class is going "broke" because RICH PEOPLE (in congress) keep writing legislation that mandates tax INCREASES for the middle-class, so THEY (the RICH), don't HAVE to contribute a "fair share". (how ya like them "apples"?)

[grapost]

09:04 AM on 06/27/2011

What kind of propaganda is this! And according to the Plantation owners is the South during the 1800's, all their slaves were happy too! This is more Right Wing lies! The people who conducted this survey must work for Fox News!

[FOXYROSE]

07:58 AM on 06/27/2011

The "happy" ones are in the 47% that pay zero Fed Income Tax.

[FOXYROSE]

07:57 AM on 06/27/2011

That's because the middle class is paying for all the "tax credits" and perks for the working poor - the middle class is worked to death.

[thebidget]

09:48 AM on 07/04/2011

The working poor may be happier because, for them, the "great recession" was more of the same. Hard work, more hard work and never able make ends meet. They couldn't get credit cards or loans to keep up with their neighbors and as result their conditions have remained stable. The our passion for debt combined with corporate greed reduced the "happiness" of those of us that could claim to be middle class. As a side note the working poor do pay taxes and in some states with regressive tax polices pay a higher portion of their income in taxes than "middle-class" citizens. And due to the "great recession" things that had helped them keep their noses just above the water are now being cut; public transportation, libraries, access to health care just to name a few. Let's not place the blame for our current economy on those that neither started nor cause the massive problems we now face.

[jo smith456]

01:17 AM on 06/27/2011

WAIT A MINUTE!!

Ok. Let wall-street-bankers/financiers, lobbyists, Congress $SCREW further the Americans to make them POORER; in that case, they (the poorer middle/working class Americans) will be happier.

[academicx]

09:00 PM on 06/26/2011

I think the more money we make, the more we go shopping. Its not about how much comes in, its about how much goes out!!!

[GerryS]

06:46 PM on 06/26/2011

It is because the soylent green/ fast food diet is full of mood elevating drugs-------

[Bxblasta]

04:43 PM on 06/30/2011

Dont forget about good ol MSG

[Mamma Roma]

03:28 PM on 06/26/2011

This morning the phone woke me up at 7:30 by a friend who is on SSI and Welfare. All she did was complain about how poor she was. Neither she NOR I was HAPPY AT ALL.

This is a bollocky poll because the questions are structured in a such a way, that you have to pidgeon hole too many situations in the frame of the one question.

Mr./Ms. Harris, if you are trying to make us feel better, you didn't. "the recession had little "impact" on peoples happiness?

Try to remember that people who loose everything in a fire or survive a car accident are JUST GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE, but that's not one of the questions is it? So, don't confuse gratitude with happiness, because people will pick the question CLOSEST to their situation and we all know if it isn't EXACT, it isn't a true picture.

Spot on should be the goal here, not "CLOSE..... but NO CIGAR".

Of course people are happy to be with their loved ones, and that helps people accept their circumstances but, it doesn't translate into not having an impact on their daily lives. We've lost incomes, homes, our dignity, THAT alone has an impact.

Your loaded questions give a false impression. I don't approve of polls.

[Sister777]

12:43 PM on 06/26/2011

These kind of stories make me sick. Please. DO NOT TRY TO TELL ME I WILL BE HAPPIER POORER AND SICK.

[artist-53]

09:53 AM on 06/26/2011

"....those earning between between $75,000 and $99,999 that were least satisfied,"

I wonder if those individuals would also be dissatisfied on any income.

Or does having a higher income also bring with it, a sense of stress because they have to work hard at remaining at a certain income level. The old golden handcuff dilemma.

[lipps]

07:48 PM on 06/26/2011

That income bracket $75k + will be considered rich under obama soon..

[artist-53]

08:30 AM on 06/27/2011

He. L, Food Stamps, medicare/medicaid , unemployment benefits and Social Security is what republicans view as rich, only when the republicans view those that are on the receiving end .

And republicans have determined we're really not worth receiving those benefits unless of course they come through wall street.

[mitsecl]

02:26 AM on 06/26/2011

It's less stressing to stay at home waiting for a welfare check...thus living happier...

[AlsoSarah]

09:51 PM on 06/25/2011

Take a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQfnAwFG6Jw

[AlsoSarah]

09:51 PM on 06/25/2011

"The best things in life aren't things"

[Eagleman]

09:35 PM on 06/25/2011

Middle income people are worried because Obama is going to tax them to hell

[AlsoSarah]

09:45 PM on 06/25/2011

Where did you get that from? It's not true.

[mitsecl]

02:25 AM on 06/26/2011

Misinformed...