NEWS

BABCOCK RANCH, Fla., September 10, 2026 —New nationally representative research reveals a striking tension at the heart of American life in 2026: nearly half of Americans cite inflation as their top roadblock to the Good Life, while 48% point to income. Yet 69% of Americans say they are relying on themselves and their own choices about where to live, how to work, and what to prioritize to build the life they want. To understand what Americans actually need to live well in 2026, Babcock Ranch partnered with Sustainable Brands and FINN Partners to commission ‘The Good Life Evolved: Practical Purpose in a Polarized World,’ a nationally representative study of 2,000 U.S. adults examining what Americans are prioritizing to achieve a better life and what is getting in the way.

The study, conducted in April 2026 among 2,000 U.S. adults, finds that Americans are forging their own path forward to achieve the ‘Good Life’ rather than waiting for systems to change and 84% remain optimistic about improving their own quality of life over the next five years.

“We’ve long believed that a fulfilling life is built on a foundation of stability, wellness, and purpose, and this research reinforces that belief with compelling new evidence,” said Nicholas Parks, Chief Marketing Officer for Babcock Ranch. “True quality of life is created where sustainable innovation and personal well-being come together. These findings reveal a growing desire among Americans to prioritize health, resilience, and purpose, creating an opportunity for forward-thinking organizations to help people build stronger, healthier, and more meaningful lives.”

Following the national survey, Babcock Ranch conducted an internal resident survey of 2,207 homeowners to understand how residents of America’s first fully solar-powered town feel about their lives at Babcock Ranch.

According to Babcock’s internal resident survey data, 79% of respondents are extremely satisfied or satisfied with living in the community. The attributes residents rate highest, including parks and green spaces, safety during extreme weather, overall quality of life, and family-friendly environment, map directly onto what the national research identifies as the core components of the Good Life: health, stability, and genuine connection.

Stability Starts With Where You Live

The national study found that financial stability is the primary gatekeeper to the Good Life. In Florida, homeowners insurance has become one of the most visible household cost pressures. According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation’s January 2026 Property Insurance Stability Report, the average annual homeowners premium including wind coverage is $3,222 in Charlotte County and $3,646 in Lee County, the two counties Babcock Ranch spans. Coastal counties face considerably higher costs: premiums average $6,220 in Broward County, $6,023 in Miami-Dade, and $5,565 in Collier.

Babcock Ranch residents pay considerably less. According to the June 2026 resident survey, 54% of Babcock Ranch homeowners reported paying under $2,000 annually for coverage. The community’s engineering explains much of the difference: Babcock Ranch sits 25 to 30 feet above sea level, entirely outside flood zones, with underground utilities and FPL transmission lines hardened to Category 5 standards.

Resilience by Design, Tested in Practice

The national study found that 79% of Americans are concerned about natural disasters. Babcock residents cited resilience as the second-highest driver of their decision to live at Babcock Ranch, scoring 4.1 out of 5 in importance, placing resilience from natural disasters above parks, social interactions, HOA events, and schools.

Babcock Ranch’s resilience has been storm tested and storm hardened. When Hurricane Ian (2022) and Hurricane Milton (2024) made landfall in Southwest Florida, Babcock Ranch did not lose power. The community’s 150 MW on-site solar array, 10 MW battery backup facility, and underground transmission infrastructure kept the lights on while surrounding areas were without electricity for days. The Southwest Florida Evacuation Center at Babcock Ranch, the only shelter in the region designed and built to ICC 500 standards, rated to withstand winds up to 180 mph, housed Milton evacuees and came through without a power outage.

Health and Wellness: A National Priority, a Local Commitment

The national study found that 98% of Americans identified health and wellness factors as important to their vision of the Good Life. Roughly one in four said poor physical health stalls their progress toward it.

Babcock Ranch was designed around active living: Over 100 miles of trails, walkable, bikeable, and golf cart-accessible, with parks and green spaces that residents rate as their single highest satisfaction point.

Individual Choice, Collective Community

One of the more striking findings in the national study is the gap between how Americans view their own lives and how they view the country: 66% say they are living the Good Life to some extent, but only 57% believe their fellow citizens are. The study found that 79% of Americans believe the Good Life is a realistic goal for the average person today, yet Americans are increasingly looking inward for hope rather than outward to community or institutions.

Babcock Ranch residents present a different picture. In open-ended responses to the resident survey, community atmosphere was cited as the strongest and most consistent theme, more frequently than resilience, sustainability, or amenities. Residents referenced a sense of community, small-town feel, family-friendly environment, and social connectivity as primary reasons for choosing Babcock Ranch.

About the Study

“The New American Dream: How Americans Are Defining and Achieving The Good Life” was commissioned by Sustainable Brands and FINN Partners in partnership with Babcock Ranch. The FINN Partners Global Intelligence team executed an online survey in April 2026 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 U.S. adults (ages 18-75), balancing age, gender identity, region, education, income, and ethnicity. Sample and data procurement were supported by Mavrix.

About the Resident Survey

In June 2026, Kitson & Partners conducted a resident survey of Babcock Ranch that generated 2,207 responses.