Most Americans Say They Don’t Earn Enough. More Than Half Report Insufficient Emergency Savings.

Six in 10 Americans say they do not earn enough to live the kind of life they want, while nearly four in 10 middle-income adults report struggling to afford basic necessities, according to new research.

The findings suggest that concerns about household finances extend beyond lower-income Americans, with significant shares of middle-income families reporting difficulty covering medical care, housing, transportation and other essential expenses.

The Pew Research Center study found that 60% of U.S. adults believe their current income is insufficient to support their desired standard of living. That includes 59% of middle-income adults and 26% of those in the upper-income group.

The gap was considerably wider among lower-income Americans, with 82% reporting that their earnings fell short of what they needed to live the way they wanted.

The research also found that 44% of Americans experienced difficulty affording at least one of four basic necessities during the preceding year.

Among middle-income adults, 39% reported experiencing at least one of those hardships, compared with 71% of lower-income adults and 13% of those in the upper-income category.

Medical expenses were the most commonly reported difficulty among the categories examined, with 28% of U.S. adults saying they had trouble paying for healthcare for themselves or their families.

Another 22% reported problems covering daily transportation costs, while 21% struggled to pay rent or mortgage expenses. One in five Americans said they had obtained food from a food bank or food pantry during the previous year.

The challenges were particularly pronounced among lower-income respondents, 42% of whom reported difficulties with medical costs and transportation. Another 39% said they had problems paying rent or their mortgage.

Even among middle-income adults, 27% reported difficulty paying for medical care, 16% struggled with transportation expenses and 15% had problems meeting housing payments. The survey also identified significant differences in access to emergency savings.

Overall, 53% of U.S. adults said they did not have enough money set aside to cover three months of expenses in the event of illness, job loss, an economic downturn or another emergency.

That included 52% of middle-income adults, compared with 77% of lower-income Americans and 20% of those in the upper-income group. The findings point to financial difficulties extending beyond major purchases and long-term savings goals.

More than one-quarter of Americans, or 27%, said they could not pay all their monthly bills in full during a typical month.

Among lower-income adults, that figure reached 49%, while 22% of middle-income respondents reported the same difficulty. Some households also reported turning to borrowing when essential expenses became difficult to manage.

Among adults who experienced problems affording basic necessities, 50% said they had borrowed money from friends or family, compared with 8% of those who had not experienced such difficulties.

Another 31% of those reporting hardship had taken out a payday or other short-term loan, compared with 4% of adults who had not struggled with basic expenses.

Spending reductions were also widespread. Pew found that 70% of Americans had cut back on nonessential purchases, including dining out, streaming services and entertainment, during the previous year.

More than half, or 54%, said they had been unable to save money for the future over that period. Concerns about longer-term financial security were common, with 37% saying they worried every day or almost every day about saving for retirement.

Healthcare costs and debt were also sources of frequent anxiety, with 32% of respondents reporting daily or near-daily concerns about each.

Pew's findings were based on responses from 5,166 U.S. adults who participated in surveys conducted between July 20 and August 30, 2026. Participants were members of the organization's American Trends Panel, with the surveys designed to represent the views of U.S. adults.