A new NBC News/SurveyMonkey poll of nearly 3,000 young adults highlights the growing cultural gulf within Generation Z. At the center of that divide is a simple question: what does success look like? For Gen Z Trump voters, the answer is still rooted in family, faith, and stability. For Harris voters, the focus is more about money and career.
Children as a Marker of Success
Among all Gen Z respondents ages 18 to 29, just 16% said “having children” is important to their definition of success, compared to 42% who chose “career fulfillment” and 34% who prioritized financial independence. When broken down by political alignment, the contrast becomes clear. Trump voters in 2024 were significantly more likely to say that having children mattered to their future. Harris voters were the least likely to place value on family formation, instead prioritizing individual fulfillment over raising the next generation.
This isn’t just a lifestyle difference. It marks a dividing line in how young Americans see their role in society.
The Ripple Effect
Conservatives have long argued that strong families are the backbone of strong communities. When fewer young adults aspire to parenthood, the effects reach far beyond their households. Fewer children means less investment in schools, weaker ties to neighborhoods, and a diminished sense of responsibility for long-term policy decisions.
Trump-aligned Gen Z voters who value children are also more likely to express concern about crime and safety. Harris-aligned Gen Zers, who largely reject traditional family roles, show less urgency about issues tied to order and stability.
Faith and Tradition
The poll also shows sharp differences in religious practice. While 26% of Gen Z report attending services weekly, 42% say they never attend. Trump voters are more likely to fall in the church-going camp, while Harris voters heavily populate the “none” category.
That religious gap mirrors the family divide. Those who see children as central to life also see faith and tradition as anchors for raising them. Those who dismiss parenthood are more likely to dismiss faith as well. This bleeds into the issue of public safety as well when children are not raised with an understanding of right and wrong.
Educational Chaos
Nowhere is this divide more visible than in education. For example, those who value children as a measure of success want schools that uphold order, discipline, and traditional values. For Harris voters, who don’t see children as part of their own future, there is less concern with maintaining those norms and more concern with indoctrination.
That helps explain why clashes over curriculum, gender ideology, and parental rights in public schools have become political flashpoints, and why Democrats tend to shrug at the issue, much to their political detriment.
The Bigger Picture
The NBC poll makes clear that the generational gender gap is real. More importantly, it shows that the political divide among young voters is about more than economics or party labels. It is about whether the next generation believes in building the next generation at all.
Trump-leaning Gen Zers, though smaller in number, are keeping faith in family and tradition alive. Harris-leaning Gen Zers are walking away from it, and in doing so, they are walking away from the very values that build strong communities and secure a nation’s future.