Our survey found that Americans try to balance work, family and leisure activities:  for most, family time has the highest priority. A majority (55%) of all Americans reported that they are “very satisfied” with the amount of time they spend with their immediate families. Only 14% are not satisfied.

However, some Americans might have “bought” that family time by cutting back on other leisure activities. For example, only 35% are very satisfied with the amount of time they spend on hobbies or clubs, while 25% are not satisfied with their time spent on these activities.

Married couples are generally satisfied with the amount of time they are able to spend with family members, despite the growth in dual-income households and corresponding increase in time spent working. In all, 89% of married couples (which includes those with and without children) are “very” or “somewhat” satisfied with the amount of time they spend with family, compared with 79% of adults in non-married households.

A big part of this story is that despite multiple jobs and community opportunities, many families continue to spend much of their free time as a unit. Almost half (47%) of adults who live with a child or partner (everyone except for singles and non-married adults without children) say they spend most of their free time with household members. An additional 21% spend all of their free time with household members.

Being employed (whether full- or part-time) is highly associated with the level of a person’s satisfaction with his or her leisure pursuits. Those who are employed are less satisfied with the time they have available to spend with family, friends/relatives, engaging in hobbies or other activities, or just relaxing.