Nearly half of Americans reported feeling lonely at least sometimes in the latest vibe check from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why it matters: Feelings of isolation and loneliness are a real public health threat — so much so that Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last year issued an advisory on the matter.
Driving the news: In the newest Household Pulse Survey (HPS), 40.3% of American adults said they experienced feelings of loneliness at least sometimes.
- The HPS is a brief online survey designed to quickly assess Americans’ economic and financial wellbeing, among other topics.
- This run was conducted between July 23-Aug. 19, with nearly 60,000 respondents.
Zoom in: Alaska (45.9%), Oregon (44.7%) and Virginia (43.3%) had the highest rates of loneliness.
