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PRIZM®NE Social Groups
PRIZM divides the U.S. consumer into 14 different groups and 66 different segments. Below is a sampling of the information provided for each group and segment:
Group U1 – Urban Uptown
The five segments in Urban Uptown are home to the nation's wealthiest urban consumers. Members of this social group tend to be midscale to upscale, college educated and ethnically diverse, with above-average concentrations of Asian and Hispanic Americans. Although this group is diverse in terms of housing styles and family sizes, residents share an upscale urban perspective that's reflected in their marketplace choices. Urban Uptown consumers tend to frequent the arts, shop at exclusive retailers, drive luxury imports, travel abroad, and spend heavily on computer and wireless technology.
The Urban Uptown group consists of the following segments:
- 04. Young Digerati
- 07. Money & Brains
- 16. Bohemian Mix
- 26. The Cosmopolitans
- 29. American Dreams
 | 04. Young Digerati – Young Digerati are tech-savvy and live in fashionable neighborhoods on the urban fringe. Affluent, highly educated, and ethnically mixed, Young Digerati communities are typically filled with trendy apartments and condos, fitness clubs and clothing boutiques, casual restaurants and all types of bars--from juice to coffee to microbrew. |
 | 07. Money & Brains – The residents of Money & Brains seem to have it all: high incomes, advanced degrees, and sophisticated tastes to match their credentials. Many of these city dwellers are married couples with few children who live in fashionable homes on small, manicured lots. |
 | 16. Bohemian Mix – A collection of mobile urbanites, Bohemian Mix represents the nation's most liberal lifestyles. Its residents are an ethnically diverse, progressive mix of young singles, couples, and families ranging from students to professionals. In their funky row houses and apartments, Bohemian Mixers are the early adopters who are quick to check out the latest movie, nightclub, laptop, and microbrew. |
 | 26. The Cosmopolitans – Educated, upper-midscale, and ethnically diverse, The Cosmopolitans are urbane couples in America's fast-growing cities. Concentrated in a handful of metros--such as Las Vegas, Miami, and Albuquerque--these households feature older, empty-nesting homeowners. A vibrant social scene surrounds their older homes and apartments, and residents love the nightlife and enjoy leisure-intensive lifestyles. |
 | 29. American Dreams – American Dreams is a living example of how ethnically diverse the nation has become: just under half the residents are Hispanic, Asian, or African-American. In these multilingual neighborhoods, middle-aged immigrants and their children live in upper-middle-class comfort. |
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Group U2 – Midtown Mix
Diversity is the hallmark of Midtown Mix, a group of mostly lower-middle-income urban segments. It's the most ethnically diverse social group, and consists of a mix of singles and couples, homeowners and renters, college alumni and high school graduates. In Midtown Mix, the households are dominated by consumers who pursue active social lives--frequenting bars, health clubs, and restaurants at high rates--listen to progressive music, drive small imports, and acquire the latest consumer electronics.
The Midtown Mix group consists of the following segments:
- 31. Urban Achievers
- 40. Close-In Couples
- 54. Multi-Culti Mosaic
 | 31. Urban Achievers – Concentrated in the nation's port cities, Urban Achievers is often the first stop for up-and-coming immigrants from Asia, South America, and Europe. These young singles, couples, and families are typically college-educated and ethnically diverse: about a third are foreign-born, and even more speak a language other than English. |
 | 40. Close-In Couples – Close-In Couples is a group of predominantly older, ethnically diverse couples living in older homes in the urban neighborhoods of mid-sized metros. High school-educated and empty nesting, these mostly older residents typically live in older city neighborhoods, enjoying their retirements. |
 | 54. Multi-Culti Mosaic – An immigrant gateway community, Multi-Culti Mosaic is the urban home for a mixed populace of Hispanic, Asian, and African-American singles and families. With nearly a quarter of the residents foreign born, this segment is a mecca for first-generation Americans who are striving to improve their lower-middle-class status. |
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Group U3 – Urban Cores
The segments of Urban Cores are characterized by relatively modest incomes, educations, and rental apartments, but affordable housing is part of the allure for the group's young singles and aging retirees. One of the least affluent social groups, U3 has a high concentration of Hispanics and African-Americans, and surveys indicate a fondness for both ethnic and mainstream media and products. Among the group's preferences: TV news and daytime programming, Spanish and African-American radio, telephony services and pagers, cheap fast food and high-end department stores.
The Urban Cores group consists of the following segments:
- 59. Urban Elders
- 61. City Roots
- 65. Big City Blues
- 66. Low-Rise Living
 | 59. Urban Elders – For Urban Elders--a segment located in the downtown neighborhoods of such metros as New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Miami--life is often an economic struggle. These communities have high concentrations of Hispanics and African-Americans and tend to be downscale, with singles living in older apartment rentals. |
 | 61. City Roots – Found in urban neighborhoods, City Roots is a segment of downscale retirees, typically living in older homes and duplexes they've owned for years. In these ethnically diverse neighborhoods--nearly 50 percent are African-American or Hispanic--residents are often widows or widowers living on fixed incomes and maintaining low-key lifestyles. |
 | 65. Big City Blues – With a population that's more than 40 percent Latino, Big City Blues has one of the highest concentration of Hispanic-Americans in the nation. But it's also the multi-ethnic address for low-income Asian and African-American households occupying older inner-city apartments. Concentrated in a handful of major metros, these middle-aged singles and single-parent families face enormous challenges: low incomes, uncertain jobs, and modest educations. |
 | 66. Low-Rise Living – The most economically challenged urban segment, Low-Rise Living is known as a transient world for middle-aged, ethnically diverse singles and single parents. Typically, the commercial base of Mom-and-Pop stores is struggling and in need of a renaissance. |
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Group S1 – Elite Suburbs
The most affluent suburban social group, Elite Suburbs is a world of six-figure incomes, post-graduate degrees, single-family homes, and managerial and professional occupations. The segments here are predominantly white with significant concentrations of well-off Asian-Americans. Befitting their lofty salaries, S1 members are big consumers of large homes, expensive clothes, luxury cars, and foreign travel. Despite representing a small portion of the U.S. population, they hold a large share of the nation's personal net worth.
The Elite Suburbs group consists of the following segments:
- 01. Upper Crust
- 02. Blue Blood Estates
- 03. Movers & Shakers
- 06. Winner's Circle
 | 01. Upper Crust – The nation's most exclusive address, Upper Crust is the wealthiest lifestyle in America--a haven for empty-nesting couples over the age of 55. No segment has a higher concentration of residents earning over $100,000 a year and possessing a postgraduate degree. And none has a more opulent standard of living. |
 | 02. Blue Blood Estates – Blue Blood Estates is a family portrait of suburban wealth, a place of million-dollar homes and manicured lawns, high-end cars and exclusive private clubs. The nation's second-wealthiest lifestyle is characterized by married couples with children, graduate degrees, a significant percentage of Asian Americans, and six-figure incomes earned by business executives, managers, and professionals. |
 | 03. Movers & Shakers – Movers & Shakers is home to America's up-and-coming business class: a wealthy suburban world of dual-income couples who are highly educated, typically between the ages of 45 and 64, and without children. Given its high percentage of executives and white-collar professionals, there's a decided business bent to this segment: members of Movers & Shakers rank near the top for owning a small business and having a home office. |
 | 06. Winner's Circle – Among the wealthy suburban lifestyles, Winner's Circle is the youngest, a collection of mostly 35- to 54-year-old couples with large families in new-money subdivisions. Surrounding their homes are the signs of upscale living: recreational parks, golf courses, and upscale malls. With a median income over $100,000, Winner's Circle residents are big spenders who like to travel, ski, go out to eat, shop at clothing boutiques, and take in a show. |
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Group S2 – The Affluentials
The six segments in The Affluentials are one socioeconomic rung down from the Elite Suburbs--with a significant drop in median income--but their residents still enjoy comfortable, suburban lifestyles. The median income and median home value in S2 are well above the U.S. median values, and the members of this social group are mostly singles who tend to have college degrees and white-collar jobs. Asian-Americans make up an important minority in these predominantly white segments. As consumers, The Affluentials are big fans of health foods, computer equipment, consumer electronics, and the full range of big-box retailers.
The The Affluentials group consists of the following segments:
- 08. Executive Suites
- 14. New Empty Nests
- 15. Pools & Patios
- 17. Beltway Boomers
- 18. Kids & Cul-de-Sacs
- 19. Home Sweet Home
 | 08. Executive Suites – Executive Suites consists of upper-middle-class singles and couples typically living just beyond the nation's beltways. Filled with significant numbers of Asian-Americans and college graduates--both groups are represented at nearly twice the national average--this segment is a haven for white-collar professionals drawn to comfortable homes and apartments within a manageable commute to downtown jobs, restaurants, and entertainment. |
 | 14. New Empty Nests – With their grown-up children recently out of the house, New Empty Nests is composed of upper-middle income older Americans who pursue active--and activist--lifestyles. Most residents are over 65 years old, but they show no interest in a rest-home retirement. This is the top-ranked segment for all-inclusive travel packages; the favorite destination is Europe. |
 | 15. Pools & Patios – Formed during the postwar Baby Boom, Pools & Patios has evolved from a segment of young suburban families to one for older, empty-nesting couples. In these stable neighborhoods graced with backyard pools and patios--a large proportion of homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s--residents work as white-collar managers and professionals, and are now at the top of their careers. |
 | 17. Beltway Boomers – The members of the postwar Baby Boom are all grown up. One segment of this huge cohort--college-educated, upper-middle-class, and home-owning--is found in Beltway Boomers. Like many of their peers who married late, these Boomers are still raising children in comfortable suburban subdivisions, and they're pursuing kid-centered lifestyles. |
 | 18. Kids & Cul-de-Sacs – Upper-middle-class, suburban, married couples with children--that's the skinny on Kids & Cul-de-Sacs, an enviable lifestyle of large families in recently built subdivisions. With a high rate of Hispanic and Asian Americans, this segment is a refuge for college-educated, white-collar professionals with administrative jobs and upper-middle-class incomes. Their nexus of education, affluence, and children translates into large outlays for child-centered products and services. |
 | 19. Home Sweet Home – Widely scattered across the nation's suburbs, the residents of Home Sweet Home tend to be upper-middle-class married couples living in mid-sized homes without children. The adults in the segment, mostly under 55, have gone to college and hold professional and white-collar jobs. With their upper-middle-class incomes and small families, these folks have fashioned comfortable lifestyles, filling their homes with exercise equipment, TV sets, and pets. |
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Group S3 – Middleburbs
The five segments that comprise Middleburbs share a middle-class, suburban perspective, but the similarity ends there. The group includes a mix of homeowners and renters as well as high school graduates and college alums. With good jobs and money in their jeans, the members of Middleburbs tend to have plenty of discretionary income to visit nightclubs and casual-dining restaurants, shop at midscale department stores, buy dance and easy listening CDs by the dozen, and travel across the U.S. and Canada.
The Middleburbs group consists of the following segments:
- 21. Gray Power
- 22. Young Influentials
- 30. Suburban Sprawl
- 36. Blue-Chip Blues
- 39. Domestic Duos
 | 21. Gray Power – The steady rise of older, healthier Americans over the past decade has produced one important by-product: middle-class, mostly home-owning suburbanites who are aging in place rather than moving to retirement communities. Gray Power reflects this trend, a segment of older, midscale singles and couples who live in quiet comfort. |
 | 22. Young Influentials – Once known as the home of the nation's yuppies, Young Influentials reflects the fading glow of acquisitive yuppiedom. Today, the segment is a common address for middle-class singles and couples who are more preoccupied with balancing work and leisure pursuits and who live in apartment complexes surrounded by ball fields, health clubs, and casual-dining restaurants. |
 | 30. Suburban Sprawl – Suburban Sprawl is an unusual American lifestyle: a collection of midscale, older singles and couples living in the heart of suburbia. Typically members of the Baby Boom generation, they hold decent jobs, own older homes and condos, and pursue conservative versions of the American Dream. Among their favorite activities are jogging on treadmills and playing trivia games |
 | 36. Blue-Chip Blues – Blue-Chip Blues is known as a comfortable lifestyle for ethnically-diverse, young, sprawling families with well-paying blue-collar and service jobs. The segment's aging neighborhoods feature compact, modestly priced homes surrounded by commercial centers that cater to child-filled households. |
 | 39. Domestic Duos – Domestic Duos represents a middle-class mix of mainly over-65 singles and married couples living in older suburban homes. With their high-school educations and fixed incomes, segment residents maintain an easy-going lifestyle. Residents like to socialize by going bowling, seeing a play, meeting at the local fraternal order, or going out to eat. |
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Group S4 – Inner Suburbs
The four segments in the Inner Suburbs social group are concentrated in the inner-ring suburbs of major metros--areas where residents tend to be high school educated, unmarried, and downscale. There's diversity in this group, with segments that are racially mixed, divided evenly between homeowners and renters, and filled with households that are either young or aging in place. However, the consumer behavior of the S4 segments is dominated by older Americans who enjoy social activities at veterans clubs and fraternal orders, TV news and talk shows, and shopping at discount department stores.
The Inner Suburbs group consists of the following segments:
- 44. New Beginnings
- 46. Old Glories
- 49. American Classics
- 52. Suburban Pioneers
 | 44. New Beginnings – Filled with young, single adults, New Beginnings is a magnet for adults in transition. Many of its residents are twentysomething singles and couples just starting out on their career paths--or starting over after recent divorces or company transfers. Ethnically diverse--with nearly half its residents Hispanic, Asian, or African-American--New Beginnings households tend to have the modest living standards typical of transient apartment dwellers. |
 | 46. Old Glories – The residents of Old Glories are the nation's downscale suburban retirees, Americans aging in place in older apartment complexes. Households in this racially-diverse segment often contain widows and widowers living on fixed incomes who tend to lead home-centered lifestyles. They're among the nation's most ardent television fans, watching game shows, soaps, talk shows, and news magazines at high rates. |
 | 49. American Classics – They may be older and retired, but the residents of American Classics are still living the American Dream of home ownership. Few segments rank higher in their percentage of home owners, and that fact alone reflects a more comfortable lifestyle for these predominantly white and African-American singles and couples with deep ties to their neighborhoods. |
 | 52. Suburban Pioneers – Suburban Pioneers represents one of the nation's eclectic lifestyles, a mix of singles, recent divorcees, and single parents who have moved into older, inner-ring suburbs. They live in aging homes and garden-style apartment buildings, where the jobs are scarce and the money is tight. But what unites these residents--a diverse mix of Whites, Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans--is a working-class sensibility and an appreciation for their off-the-beaten-track neighborhoods. |
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Group C1 – 2nd City Society
Among second-tier cities, Second City Society stands at the top of the heap--a social group consisting of the wealthiest families who live outside the nation's metropolitan core. The three segments in this group are dominated by married couples with college degrees, large homes, and executive jobs. Ethnically, the residents are predominantly white with above-average rates of Asian-Americans. In the marketplace, they spend big on digital and wireless technology, business and cultural media, casual-dining restaurants, upscale retailers, foreign travel, and luxury cars.
The 2nd City Society group consists of the following segments:
- 10. Second City Elite
- 12. Brite Lites, Li'l City
- 13. Upward Bound
 | 10. Second City Elite – There's money to be found in the nation's smaller cities, and you're most likely to find it in Second City Elite. The residents of these satellite cities tend to be prosperous professionals who decorate their homes with multiple computers, large-screen TV sets, and an impressive collection of wines. With more than half holding college degrees, Second City Elite residents enjoy cultural activities--from reading books to attending theater and dance productions. |
 | 12. Brite Lites, Li'l City – Not all of America's chic sophisticates live in major metros. Brite Lights, Li'l City is a group of well-off, middle-aged couples settled in the nation's satellite cities. Residents of these typical DINK (double income, no kids) households have college educations, well-paying business and professional careers, and swank homes filled with the latest technology. |
 | 13. Upward Bound – More than any other segment, Upward Bound appears to be the home of those legendary Soccer Moms and Dads. In these small satellite cities, upscale families boast dual incomes, college degrees, and new split-levels and colonials. Residents of Upward Bound tend to be kid obsessed, with heavy purchases of computers, action figures, dolls, board games, bicycles, and camping equipment. |
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Group C2 – City Centers
The five segments in the C2 social group consist of a mix of Americans--old and young, homeowners and renters, families and singles--who've settled in the nation's satellite cities. What they share is a middle-class status,
The City Centers group consists of the following segments:
- 24. Up-and-Comers
- 27. Middleburg Managers
- 34. White Picket Fences
- 35. Boomtown Singles
- 41. Sunset City Blues
 | 24. Up-and-Comers – Up-and-Comers is a stopover for younger, upper-midscale singles before they marry, have families, and establish more deskbound lifestyles. Found in second-tier cities, these mobile adults, mostly age 25 to 44, include a disproportionate number of recent college graduates who are into athletic activities, the latest technology, and nightlife entertainment. |
 | 27. Middleburg Managers – Middleburg Managers arose when empty nesters settled in satellite communities, which offered a lower cost of living and more relaxed pace. Today, segment residents tend to be middle class with solid white-collar jobs or comfortable retirements. In their older homes, they enjoy reading, playing musical instruments, indoor gardening, and refinishing furniture. |
 | 34. White Picket Fences – Midpoint on the socioeconomic ladder, residents in White Picket Fences look a lot like the stereotypical American household of a generation ago: young, upper-middle-class, and married with children. But the current version is characterized by modest homes and ethnic diversity, including a large numbers of Hispanic and African-Americans households. |
 | 35. Boomtown Singles – Affordable housing, abundant entry-level jobs, and a thriving singles scene--all have given rise to the Boomtown Singles segment in fast-growing satellite cities. Single and working-class, these residents pursue active lifestyles amid sprawling apartment complexes, bars, convenience stores, and laundromats. |
 | 41. Sunset City Blues – Scattered throughout the older neighborhoods of small cities, Sunset City Blues is a segment of lower-middle-class singles and couples who have retired or are getting close to it. These empty-nesters tend to own their homes but have modest educations and incomes. They maintain a low-key lifestyle filled with newspapers and television by day, and family-style restaurants at night. |
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Group C3 – Micro-City Blues
Micro-City Blues was created via the predominantly downscale residents living in the affordable housing found throughout the nation's smaller cities. A diverse social group, these five segments contain a mix of old and young, singles and widowers, whites, African-Americans, and Hispanics. Many of the workers hold blue-collar jobs--hence the name--and their marketplace behaviors reflect the segments' varied lifestyles. This is a social group of strong dualities, with consumers indexing high for video games and bingo, aerobic exercise and fishing, and BET and CMT.
The Micro-City Blues group consists of the following segments:
- 47. City Startups
- 53. Mobility Blues
- 60. Park Bench Seniors
- 62. Hometown Retired
- 63. Family Thrifts
 | 47. City Startups – In City Startups, young to middle-aged, multi-ethnic singles have settled in neighborhoods filled with cheap apartments and a commercial base of cafés, bars, laundromats, and clubs that cater to twentysomethings. One of the youngest segments in America--with ten times as many college students as the national average--these neighborhoods feature low incomes and high concentrations of African-American and Hispanic households. |
 | 53. Mobility Blues – Mobility Blues is a segment of middle-age singles in working-class neighborhoods in America's satellite cities. Ethnically diverse, these transient Americans tend to have modest lifestyles due to their lower income jobs. Surveys show they excel in going to movies, playing basketball, and shooting pool. |
 | 60. Park Bench Seniors – Park Bench Seniors are typically retired singles living in the racially diverse neighborhoods of the nation's satellite cities. With modest educations and incomes, these residents maintain low-key, sedentary lifestyles. Theirs is one of the top-ranked segments for TV viewing, especially daytime soaps and game shows. |
 | 62. Hometown Retired – These racially diverse seniors tend to live in aging homes--40% were built before 1958--and typically get by on social security and pensions. Because most never made it beyond high school and spent their working lives at blue-collar jobs, their retirements are extremely modest. These second-city dwellers spend their days on crafts and watching daytime TV. |
 | 63. Family Thrifts – The small-city cousins of inner-city districts, Family Thrifts contain young, ethnically diverse parents who have lots of children and work entry-level service jobs. In these apartment-filled neighborhoods, visitors find the streets jam-packed with babies and toddlers, tricycles and basketball hoops, Suzukis and Kias. |
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Group T1 – Landed Gentry
Widely scattered throughout the nation, the five segments in the Landed Gentry social group consist of wealthy Americans who migrated to the smaller boomtowns beyond the nation's beltways. Many of the households contain Boomer families and couples with college degrees, expansive homes, and professional jobs--they're twice as likely as average Americans to telecommute. With their upscale incomes, they can afford to spend heavily on consumer electronics, wireless and computer technology, luxury cars, powerboats, books and magazines, children's toys, and exercise equipment.
The Landed Gentry group consists of the following segments:
- 05. Country Squires
- 09. Big Fish, Small Pond
- 11. God's Country
- 20. Fast-Track Families
- 25. Country Casuals
 | 05. Country Squires – The wealthiest residents in exurban America live in Country Squires, an oasis for affluent Baby Boomers who've fled the city for the charms of small-town living. In their bucolic communities noted for their recently built homes on sprawling properties, the families of executives live in six-figure comfort. Country Squires enjoy country club sports like golf, tennis, and swimming, as well as skiing, boating, and biking. |
 | 09. Big Fish, Small Pond – Older, upper-class, college-educated professionals, the members of Big Fish, Small Pond are often among the leading citizens of their small-town communities. These upscale, empty-nesting couples enjoy the trappings of success, including belonging to country clubs, maintaining large investment portfolios, and spending freely on computer technology. |
 | 11. God's Country – When city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God's Country emerged as the most affluent of the nation's exurban lifestyles. Today, wealthier communities exist in the hinterlands, but God's Country remains a haven for upscale couples in spacious homes. Typically college educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between high-power jobs and laid-back leisure. |
 | 20. Fast-Track Families – With their upscale incomes, numerous children, and spacious homes, Fast-Track Families are in their prime acquisition years. These middle-aged parents have the disposable income and educated sensibility to want the best for their children. They buy the latest technology with impunity: new computers, DVD players, home theater systems, and video games. They take advantage of their rustic locales by camping, boating, and fishing. |
 | 25. Country Casuals – There's a laid-back atmosphere in Country Casuals, a collection of older, upscale households that have started to empty-nest. Most households boast two earners who have well-paying management jobs or own small businesses. Today, these Baby-Boom couples have the disposable income to enjoy traveling, owning timeshares, and going out to eat. |
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Group T2 – Country Comfort
The five segments in Country Comfort are filled with predominantly white, upper-middle-class homeowners. In their placid towns and scenic bedroom communities, these Americans tend to be married, mostly between the ages of 25 and 54, with or without children. They enjoy comfortable upscale lifestyles, exhibiting high indices for barbecuing, bar-hopping, and playing golf as well as home-based activities such as gardening, woodworking, and crafts. Reflecting their rural, family environment, they prefer trucks, SUVs, and minivans to cars.
The Country Comfort group consists of the following segments:
- 23. Greenbelt Sports
- 28. Traditional Times
- 32. New Homesteaders
- 33. Big Sky Families
- 37. Mayberry-ville
 | 23. Greenbelt Sports – A segment of upscale exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle. Most of these older residents are married, college-educated, and own new homes. And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing, backpacking, boating, and mountain biking. |
 | 28. Traditional Times – Traditional Times is the kind of lifestyle where small-town couples nearing retirement are beginning to enjoy their first empty-nest years. Typically in their fifties and older, these upper-middle-class Americans pursue a kind of granola-and-grits lifestyle. On their coffee tables are magazines with titles like Country Living and Country Home. But they're big travelers, especially in recreational vehicles and campers. |
 | 32. New Homesteaders – Young, upper-middle-class families seeking to escape suburban sprawl find refuge in New Homesteaders, a collection of small rustic townships filled with new ranches and Cape Cods. With decent-paying jobs in white and blue-collar industries, these dual-income couples have fashioned comfortable, child-centered lifestyles; their driveways are filled with campers and powerboats, their family rooms with PlayStations. |
 | 33. Big Sky Families – Scattered in placid towns across the American heartland, Big Sky Families is a segment of middle-aged rural families who have turned high school educations and blue-collar jobs into busy, upper-middle-class lifestyles. Residents enjoy baseball, basketball, and volleyball, as well as fishing, hunting, and horseback riding. To entertain their sprawling families, they buy virtually every piece of sporting equipment on the market. |
 | 37. Mayberry-ville – Like the old Andy Griffith Show set in a quaint picturesque burg, Mayberry-ville harks back to an old-fashioned way of life. In these small towns, upper-middle-class couples like to fish and hunt during the day, and stay home and watch TV at night. With lucrative blue-collar jobs and moderately priced housing, residents use their discretionary cash to purchase boats, campers, motorcycles, and pickup trucks. |
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Group T3 – Middle America
The six segments in Middle America are filled with lower-middle-class homeowners living in small towns and remote exurbs. Typically found in scenic settings throughout the nation's heartland, Middle Americans tend to be white, high school educated, living as couples or larger families, and ranging in age from under 25 to over 65. Like many residents of remote communities, these conservative consumers tend to prefer traditional rural pursuits: fishing, hunting, making crafts, antique collecting, watching television, and meeting at civic and veterans clubs for recreation and companionship. Friday nights are for celebrating high school sports.
The Middle America group consists of the following segments:
- 38. Simple Pleasures
- 42. Red, White & Blues
- 43. Heartlanders
- 45. Blue Highways
- 50. Kid Country, USA
- 51. Shotguns & Pickups
 | 38. Simple Pleasures – With many of its residents over 65 years old, Simple Pleasures is mostly a retirement lifestyle: a neighborhood of lower-middle-class singles and couples living in modestly priced homes. Many are high school-educated seniors who held blue-collar jobs before their retirement. And a disproportionate number served in the military, so many residents are members of veterans clubs. |
 | 42. Red, White & Blues – The residents of Red, White & Blues typically live in exurban towns rapidly morphing into bedroom suburbs. Their streets feature new fast-food restaurants, and locals have recently celebrated the arrival of chains like Walmart, Radio Shack, and Payless Shoes. Middle-aged or older, with high school educations and midscale incomes, these folks are transitioning from blue-collar jobs to the service industry. |
 | 43. Heartlanders – America was once a land of small middle-class towns, which can still be found today among Heartlanders. This widespread segment consists of older couples with white-collar jobs living in sturdy, unpretentious homes. In these communities of small families and empty-nesting couples, Heartlanders residents pursue a rustic lifestyle where hunting and fishing remain prime leisure activities along with cooking, sewing, camping, and boating. |
 | 45. Blue Highways – On maps, Blue Highways are often two-lane roads that wind through remote stretches of the American landscape. Among lifestyles, Blue Highways is the standout for midscale residents who live in isolated towns and farmsteads. Here, Boomer men like to hunt and fish, the women enjoy sewing and crafts, and everyone looks forward to going out to a country music concert. |
 | 50. Kid Country, USA – Widely scattered throughout the nation's heartland, Kid Country, USA is a segment dominated by large families living in small towns. Ethnically diverse, these young, working-class households include homeowners, renters, and military personnel living in base housing; a little over a tenth of residents own mobile homes. |
 | 51. Shotguns & Pickups – The segment known as Shotguns & Pickups came by its moniker honestly: it scores near the top of all lifestyles for owning hunting rifles and pickup trucks. These Americans tend to be young, working-class couples with large families, living in small homes and manufactured housing. 20% of residents live in mobile homes, proportionally more than anywhere else in the nation. |
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Group T4 – Rustic Living
The six segments in Rustic Living represent the nation's most isolated towns and rural villages. As a group, T4 residents have relatively modest incomes, low education levels, aging homes, and blue-collar occupations. Many of the residents, a mix of young singles and seniors, are unmarried, and they've watched scores of their neighbors migrate to the city. In their remote communities, these consumers spend their leisure time in such traditional small-town activities as fishing and hunting, attending social activities at the local church and veterans club, and enjoying country music and car racing.
The Rustic Living group consists of the following segments:
- 48. Young & Rustic
- 55. Golden Ponds
- 56. Crossroads Villagers
- 57. Old Milltowns
- 58. Back Country Folks
- 64. Bedrock America
 | 48. Young & Rustic – Young & Rustic is composed of middle-aged, restless singles. These folks tend to be lower-middle-income, high school-educated, and live in tiny apartments in the nation's exurban towns. With their service industry jobs and modest incomes, these folks still try to fashion fast-paced lifestyles centered on sports, cars, and dating. |
 | 55. Golden Ponds – Golden Ponds is mostly a retirement lifestyle, dominated by downscale singles and couples over 65 years old. Found in small bucolic towns around the country, these high school-educated seniors live in small apartments on less than $35,000 a year; more than one in five reside in a nursing home. For these elderly residents, daily life is often a succession of sedentary activities such as reading, watching TV, playing bingo, and doing craft projects. |
 | 56. Crossroads Villagers – With a population of white-collar couples and families, Crossroads Villagers is a classic rural lifestyle. Residents are high school-educated, with downscale incomes and modest housing; one-fifth live in mobile homes. And there's an air of self-reliance in these households as Crossroads Villagers help put food on the table through fishing, gardening, and hunting. |
 | 57. Old Milltowns – America's once-thriving mining and manufacturing towns have aged--as have the residents in Old Milltowns communities. Today, the majority of residents are retired singles and couples, living on downscale incomes in pre-1960 homes and apartments. For leisure, they enjoy gardening, sewing, socializing at veterans clubs, or eating out at casual restaurants. |
 | 58. Back Country Folks – Strewn among remote farm communities across the nation, Back Country Folks are a long way away from economic paradise. The residents tend to be poor, over 65 years old, and living in older, modest-sized homes and manufactured housing. Typically, life in this segment is a throwback to an earlier era when farming dominated the American landscape. |
 | 64. Bedrock America – Bedrock America consists of economically challenged families in small, isolated towns located throughout the nation's heartland. With modest educations, sprawling families, and service jobs, many of these residents struggle to make ends meet. One in five live in mobile homes. One in four haven't finished high school. Rich in scenery, Bedrock America is a haven for fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping. |
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PRIZM®NE and Claritas® are registered trademarks of Claritas Inc. The PRIZM® segment images and nicknames (e.g., “Blue Blood Estates,” “Big Sky Families,” “Country Squires”) are trademarks of Claritas Inc. and are used with permission.
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