Are Americans Doing Better Financially? Depends on Which Survey You Ask

Ask most people how their finances are going these days, and you'll get some version of "better, but not great." As it turns out, that depends heavily on which survey you're asking.

Debt.com's latest budgeting survey found something worth celebrating: fewer Americans are living paycheck to paycheck this year, a sharp break from three straight years of record highs…

• 2022: 50%

• 2023: 50%
• 2024: 60%
• 2025: 69%

• 2026: 48%

That’s a 21-point swing in just one year.

"A 21-point drop in Americans living paycheck to paycheck is a massive victory on paper, but context is everything," said Howard Dvorkin, CPA and chairman of Debt.com. "We cannot look at 48% and think the battle is won. Nearly half of our country is still one missed paycheck away from a financial crisis."

But two other national trackers, both released within months of Debt.com's, found almost the opposite. Little has changed at all.

Same question, very different answers

Media and research company PYMNTS surveyed more than 2,400 Americans earlier this year. Its “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report” found the share of people struggling to make ends meet has fluctuated between 60% and 70%. 

Another survey of 1,000 U.S. adults from MX Research saw that figure at 62% in January. 

Neither shows anything close to the swing in Debt.com's data. All three surveys agree on one thing, though: financial anxiety hasn't eased at the same pace as the numbers. 

In Debt.com's survey, 95% of respondents say economic uncertainty and rising costs have made budgeting more important than ever. That’s nearly identical to last year's response, even as the paycheck-to-paycheck figure fell sharply.

Debt.com has previously reported on the lag between improving headline data and the stress consumers still carry, a pattern it has called “stressflation.” Whichever number a person believes, the underlying caution hasn't gone anywhere.

What's actually changing for budgeters

Among the 15% of respondents who don't budget, "it's too time-consuming" overtook "I don't have much income" as the top reason for the first time; the latter fell from 38% to 26%.

The reasons people do budget shifted too. Building savings remained the top motivator, but inflation dropped from first place in 2025 to third. 

Retirement planning climbed to a survey high of 20%. That could be a sign Americans are able to plan for the future instead of stretching their income until the next pay period. 

Households also look more unified than divided: 44% of respondents said their whole household works together to budget, the top answer for a fourth straight year. 

"Budgeting isn't a luxury hobby, it's a financial seatbelt," Dvorkin said. "The data shows that 88% of budgeters successfully manage or avoid debt. Whether you stick to traditional pen and paper or adopt a mobile app, leaning into consistency is what protects you from the next economic shift."