JUNE 30, 2026
AP-NORC poll finds sharp divides by race, age, and party in American flag display and symbolism
A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey of 2,596 adults, conducted April 16–20, 2026, found that Americans' attitudes toward displaying the American flag are divided along lines of race, age, and political party. About half of U.S. adults said they display the flag at home throughout most of the year or during holidays, while about 6 in 10 Democrats and independents say they never fly it. The poll carries a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.
The AP-NORC poll, released ahead of the United States' 250th birthday celebration, found that roughly 7 in 10 Republicans and about 6 in 10 Americans ages 60 and older fly the flag at least during holidays. Among Democrats under 45, 75% say they never fly the flag. Only about 3 in 10 Black adults say they ever display it, compared with about half of white and Hispanic adults.
The survey also measured how Americans interpret the flag as a symbol. Forty-seven percent of respondents described it as "more unifying," 16% called it "more divisive," and 36% said it was neither. Among racial groups, 55% of white adults saw the flag as unifying, compared with 42% of Hispanic adults and 22% of Black adults.
Matthew Delmont, a professor of American history at Dartmouth College, told the AP that many Black Americans view the flag as carrying a dual meaning. "A lot of Black Americans see the flag as a symbol of both inclusion and exclusion," Delmont said, adding that the flag has at times been used "to justify a version of patriotism that is rooted in exclusion." Ben Gaskins, chair of political science at Lewis & Clark College, said the flag functions as a core identity marker particularly for older, white, and conservative Americans.