The data: “Wellness consumers”—those who exercise weekly and prioritize health in their food choices—skew older, more educated, and more affluent than the average American, according to a May Morning Consult survey of more than 8,300 US adults.

• Wellness consumers are more likely than the average US adult to hold advanced degrees (+7 percentage points) and earn household incomes above $100,000 (+7pp).
• Boomers account for the largest share of wellness consumers across generations, a trend the report attributes to greater free time for fitness and a stronger urgency to maintain their health.

Why it matters: Consumers who are spending more on health and wellness are investing across a range of categories, including healthy nutrition (50%), beauty and longevity (26%), fitness memberships (21%), and health wearable trackers (19%), according to a January CivicScience survey.

While some people are spending more on wellness, many wellness products and services remain premium-priced, which could make them difficult for other consumers to justify.

• Healthy food. 77% of lower-income consumers say rising food prices make it harder to purchase nutritious items—more than the 69% of all US adults and 54% of upper-income consumers who say the same, per a Pew Research Center survey conducted last year.
• Wearables. Mainstream smartwatches and smart rings typically cost hundreds of dollars. As such, annual household incomes above $200,000 are among the strongest predictors of wearable ownership, according to a study of nearly 24,000 US consumers published in the National Library of Medicine.
• “Longevity” tech. Buzzy direct-to-consumer health and longevity platforms like Function Health and Superpower charge hundreds of dollars each year for memberships centered on advanced biomarker testing and preventive health services. These offerings could prove too costly for the majority of consumers who say they wouldn’t spend more than $100 per year for comprehensive blood tests and diagnostics, per a November 2025 report from The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital.

Implications for health and wellness brands: Some players in this space more aggressively target affluent consumers, positioning wellness as a luxury (e.g., Life Time launching its “luxury era of wellness” last year). But that approach could backfire over time, as even higher-income consumers aren’t immune to financial pressure and may eventually face the same tradeoffs as everyone else.

Pricing strategies to attract customers deterred by high upfront costs could include buy now, pay later (BNPL) options for premium offerings—which are increasingly popular among younger consumers—as well as discounted introductory memberships and more flexible commitment plans.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Not a subscriber? Click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.