Poll: Most say 61 is middle-aged, not old

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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., May 1 (UPI) -- Age 61 seems old or middle-aged to those age 45 and younger, while those older than 61 tend to see it young, a U.S. survey indicated.

Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said each year he inserts a question with his current age into a poll. This year he asked: "Is age 61 old?"

he Marist Poll indicated 63 percent said they thought 61 was middle-age, 15 percent said 61 was young, while 22 percent said it was old.

The perspective of age depends on what side of 61 one is. The survey indicated 67 percent of Americans age 45 and older said 61 was middle-aged, 20 percent said age 61 was young and only 13 percent called 61 old.

However, 56 percent of adults age 45 and younger said 61 was middle-aged, 7 percent said 61 was young while nearly 37 percent said it was old.

The telephone survey of 1,080 U.S. adults, conducted March 20-22, has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.