Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the samples, with data combined across all included survey years

Female

53%

53%

56%

53%

 White

78%

81%

81%

70%

 Black

14%

12%

12%

20%

 Other

8%

7%

7%

10%

 Married

55%

56%

60%

50%

 Separated/divorced/widowed

21%

21%

20%

25%

 Never married

24%

23%

20%

25%

 Employed

63%

65%

62%

57%

 Unemployed/not working

6%

5%

6%

7%

 Retired

15%

13%

14%

17%

 Keeping house

10%

11%

12%

12%

 Other

6%

6%

6%

7%

 $0–$9999

18%

17%

16%

28%

 $10,000–$19,999

21%

21%

21%

24%

 $20,000–$29,999

18%

20%

17%

16%

 $30,000–$49,999

23%

21%

23%

21%

 $50,000+

20%

21%

23%

11%

 Not satisfied at all

28%

27%

–

34%

 More or less satisfied

44%

44%

–

44%

 Pretty well satisfied

28%

29%

–

22%

 Lower class

7%

5%

6%

13%

 Working class

46%

45%

43%

54%

 Middle class

44%

46%

48%

32%

 Upper class

3%

4%

3%

1%

 Excellent

28%

32%

–

21%

 Good

47%

47%

–

42%

 Fair

19%

16%

–

28%

 Poor

6%

5%

–

9%

 Med-large city (50,000+)

31%

31%

29%

31%

 Suburb

35%

36%

33%

29%

 Unincorporated area

13%

9%

15%

18%

 Small city or town

11%

14%

11%

9%

 Smaller areas or country

10%

10%

12%

13%

 Feels afraid in neighborhood

34%

38%

–

31%

Age

46.61 (0.23)

44.80 (0.33)

45.92 (0.34)

49.14 (0.52)

Years of education

13.44 (0.05)

13.20 (0.07)

13.55 (0.06)

12.55 (0.11)

Parental years of education

12.07 (0.06)

11.85 (0.09)

12.11 (0.09)

11.26 (0.15)

Household size

2.85 (0.02)

2.84 (0.03)

2.88 (0.03)

2.94 (0.06)