WASHINGTON, D.C. — One in three Americans say they lack agency in their lives, feeling like their lives are mostly dictated by circumstances beyond their control. This sentiment is expressed most commonly by younger and lower-income Americans. Local community conditions, including social ties, housing affordability and economic environment, may influence whether Americans feel able to shape their own futures. At every age and income level, people who lack reliable neighbors or live in areas with unaffordable housing and limited employment prospects are less likely than others to feel a sense of agency and, by extension, opportunity.
These findings are from the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup How Opportunity Takes Root study, based on interviews with 6,732 U.S. adults, conducted Feb. 26-March 6, 2026. The study examined factors that influence people’s sense of opportunity in life, including the systems that support access to education, healthy natural ecosystems, and strong communities.
Younger and Lower-Income Americans Are Less Likely to Feel Sense of Agency
Younger Americans, aged 18 to 34, are the least likely of the three age groups examined to feel in control of their life path. Sixty percent of individuals in this younger group express this positive view, which is marginally lower than the proportion among 35- to 54-year-olds (65%) and significantly less than that of adults aged 55 and older (75%).
These findings are based on a question asking respondents to say which of two statements comes closer to how they currently feel: mostly able to shape their own path, even when things are difficult, or mostly pushed by circumstances beyond their control.
People’s sense of agency also varies by household income. Among adults living in households making less than $36,000 a year, nearly as many believe they are pushed by circumstances beyond their control (46%) as believe they are able to shape their own path (54%). In contrast, 80% of adults in households making $180,000 or more feel they shape their own path.
This feeling of agency is closely associated with two markers of opportunity studied in the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup report: overall wellbeing (according to the Life Evaluation Index) and optimism for the future. People who feel they are able to shape their own path are more than twice as likely to be considered “thriving” in life as those who feel pushed by circumstances beyond their control (63% vs. 25%, respectively) and about twice as likely to agree they have a great future ahead of them (77% vs. 37%).
Community Connections Are Tied to Expanded Sense of Agency
Local conditions may influence Americans’ sense of control over their lives, helping to buoy the younger and lower-income adults who are among the least likely to feel they can shape their own path. Americans who see their community as collaborative and who consider their neighbors reliable are 16 to 22 percentage points more likely than those less positive about their community to feel they can shape their own path.
This relationship holds true even after accounting for household income. For example, among people living in lower-income households (less than $36,000 per year), less than half of those without reliable neighbors (45%) feel they can shape their own path. This rises to 62% of lower-income people who say they can rely on their neighbors.
Across the three aspects of neighborly relationships, Americans at all income levels who perceive fewer social ties in their community face a greater barrier to self-determination than those living in more neighborly areas.
A similar pattern is observed within age groups, leaving younger adults without neighborly ties among the least likely to feel they can shape their own path. For example, 50% of 18- to 34-year-olds without neighbors they can rely on believe they can shape their own path, compared with 66% of those who have “people here I can rely on.”
Access to Jobs and Affordable Housing Associated With Greater Agency
Strong economic conditions within communities may also help cultivate a sense of self-determination in their residents. Adults who agree that their community offers jobs with a stable income, or who say they can afford to live where they work, are more likely to say they have the ability to shape their own path. Although residents of these types of communities may have higher average incomes, household income alone doesn’t explain the link to personal agency. Even when comparing individuals within the same income bracket, those who view their local economy positively report a stronger sense of agency. The same is true when comparing individuals within the same age groups.
Among lower-income households, about half of adults who do not agree that there are stable jobs in their area (47%) or that housing is affordable (50%) feel they can shape their own path. This suggests that weak economic conditions within communities may compound the challenges already faced by lower-income (and younger) Americans.
Bottom Line
Younger Americans and those in lower-income households are less likely to feel a sense of opportunity — to believe they can shape their own path and, relatedly, to then be thriving in life and optimistic about the future. Yet, findings from the How Opportunity Takes Root study suggest that the type of community people reside in may also contribute to how much control they believe they have over their lives, independent of their individual circumstances.
For those looking to broaden others’ sense of opportunity and help more people to live choice-filled lives, strengthening the social and economic fabric of local communities may be as important as addressing individual-level barriers. Solutions that respond to local needs and leverage insights from community leaders should not be overlooked, especially for the populations who may benefit the most, including younger and less affluent Americans.
Learn more about the Walton Family Foundation-Gallup How Opportunity Takes Root study.
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