The FINANCIAL -- So what did Americans do this summer?
Their number one activity was attending a cookout or barbeque: 72% of adults did that, in fact, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. That’s up 13 points from last summer.
Nearly as many (70%) say they read a book this summer, showing no change from last year.
Fifty-six percent (56%) went to a fireworks display. These findings, too, show little change from a year ago.
Roughly half (49%) of Americans went on vacation with friends or family, up 13 points from August 2010. Fifty-one percent (51%) did not vacation this year. At the end of May, just 38% expected to take a summer vacation, while 54% did not.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on August 28-29, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Less popular summer activities included watching a movie in a theater (40% did that), going to the beach (35%) and attending an outdoor sporting event (35%). Sporting event and movie attendance are up slightly from a year ago, but the number of adults who went to the beach shows no change.
Just 32% say they went to an outdoor concert or theater event.
The number one activity among men was attending a cookout, while reading a book was the most popular for women.
Adults under the age of 40 preferred to attend a barbeque or watch a fireworks show, while their elders favored reading.
Americans who earn between $60,000 and $100,000 annually were twice as likely to vacation with family and friends this year than those who make $40,000 or less.
Separate polling finds that most Americans (60%) say this summer in their area has been hotter than recent summers.
www.rasmussenreports.com
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