Community gap reshapes Americans’ view of the dream

Americans define the American Dream far more often by balance sheets than by belonging: 72% of U.S. adults point to financial stability and 58% to homeownership, according to a recent CNBC and SurveyMonkey survey of 4,130 adults. Only 35% associate the dream with feeling part of a community, a gap researchers say can affect health, work prospects and long-term wellbeing.

Robert Waldinger, a Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, told CNBC that money alone leaves a fragile version of success. If a person has financial stability but lacks community, he said, “life is pretty grim.”

The finding highlights a tension in the U.S. model of advancement. Opportunity often requires mobility, but relocation can weaken the personal networks that help people find work, cope with strain and build a durable life.

Mobility and material success

Mary Battenfeld, a clinical research professor of American Studies at Boston University, told CNBC that the American Dream has long been connected to material achievement. Benjamin Cornwell, a Cornell University sociology professor and author of “Friends and Fortunes: Social Capital Inequality in America,” pointed to local rituals such as parades, picnics and ice cream socials as examples of the communal life historically associated with that aspiration.

Jeffrey Hall, a professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, said the size and structure of the U.S. often push people to leave established communities to pursue better jobs or credentials. That movement can produce gains in income or status while reducing proximity to friends and family.

Waldinger challenged the notion that achievement is purely individual. “Nobody’s self-made,” he told CNBC, adding that relationships help drive success. Social networks often serve as a route to job opportunities, while family, friends and colleagues can provide practical support during setbacks.

Social time has declined

Government time-use data show a measurable decline in social activity. Americans age 15 and older now spend less than 35 minutes a day, on average, socializing and communicating during leisure time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2003, the comparable figure was nearly 47 minutes, CNBC reported, a drop of almost 26%.

The 2025 Social Connection in America report found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults meet with close ties twice a month or less. The report also found that 29% rarely or never speak with close contacts by phone or video call.

Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a Brigham Young University professor of psychology and neuroscience and a lead researcher on the report, linked those patterns to a culture that gives priority to individual attainment. “From a social connection standpoint,” she told CNBC, “we have such an individualistic viewpoint that it’s no wonder that all we hear about is loneliness.”

Researchers cited by CNBC also connect social isolation with higher risks of heart disease, stroke and self-harm. Those risks can make it harder for individuals to sustain employment, pursue education or handle the demands associated with financial advancement.

Building ties deliberately

Waldinger told CNBC that small, repeated habits can strengthen relationships, such as calling someone during a commute, arranging regular walks or coffees, and sending messages to people already in one’s life.

Alexandra Friedman’s experience illustrates the issue. She moved to Seattle in 2018 for a marketing role at Amazon after 18 years away from the city where she grew up, and told CNBC the transition was isolating. She later began hosting monthly dinners to help people meet like-minded friends and now works full time as a friendship coach, saying she has helped thousands learn ways to connect.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.