*Based on adults who are Republican (n=535) or Democrat (n=946).
Percentages may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
The source does not specify the exact question used in the survey, the wording chosen here may therefore differ slightly.
Citation formats
Characteristics of rich people: views of U.S. Republicans and Democrats in 2012
This statistic shows the results of a 2012 survey among American Republicans and Democrats on how they characterize the rich compared to the average person. In 2012, 49 percent of the respondents who were Republican stated they consider rich people more likely than the average person to be intelligent, whereas 33 percent of the respondents who were Democrats responded that rich people were more likely than the average person to be hardworking.
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Pew Research Center. (August 27, 2012). Republicans and Democrats: Compared to the average person, how would you characterize rich people? (United States, 2012) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved August 01, 2026, from /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/
Pew Research Center. "Republicans and Democrats: Compared to the average person, how would you characterize rich people? (United States, 2012)." Chart. August 27, 2012. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed August 01, 2026. /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/
Pew Research Center. (2012). Republicans and Democrats: Compared to the average person, how would you characterize rich people? (United States, 2012). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: August 01, 2026. /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/
Pew Research Center. "Republicans and Democrats: Compared to The Average Person, How Would You Characterize Rich People? (United States, 2012)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 27 Aug 2012, /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/
Pew Research Center, Republicans and Democrats: Compared to the average person, how would you characterize rich people? (United States, 2012) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/ (last visited August 01, 2026)
Republicans and Democrats: Compared to the average person, how would you characterize rich people? (United States, 2012) [Graph], Pew Research Center, August 27, 2012. [Online]. Available: /statistics/241870/thoughts-of-us-republicans-and-democrats-on-rich-americans/
