The best examples of survey questions for audience demographics

Real-world examples of survey questions for audience demographics

Let’s start where you actually need help: the wording. Below are real examples of survey questions for audience demographics that you can drop straight into your forms, then adapt to your brand voice.

Think of these as templates, not scripts. You’ll see how an example of a demographic question can shift slightly depending on whether you’re running a social media poll, an email survey, or a detailed research study.

Age and life stage: simple, respectful examples

Age is one of the most common demographics—and one of the easiest to get wrong if you ask for exact birth dates when you don’t need them.

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics around age that feel low-pressure and privacy-aware:

• “Which age group best describes you?”
  13–17
  18–24
  25–34
  35–44
  45–54
  55–64
  65 or older
  Prefer not to say

• If your content is age-restricted (for example, alcohol, finance, or adult content), you might tighten it to:
  “Are you 18 years of age or older?”
  Yes / No

For many marketing and content teams, age ranges are enough. If you’re doing academic or public health research, you may need more precision. The U.S. Census Bureau age bands are a good reference point for consistency: https://www.census.gov/topics/population/age-and-sex.html

Location: where your audience actually lives and works

Location data helps you understand time zones, language, cultural context, and even which laws you need to follow. The best examples of location questions keep things broad unless you truly need detail.

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics focused on location:

• “Which country do you live in?”
  (Dropdown list with major countries, plus an open “Other” option.)

• “Which state or region do you live in?”
  (If you’re U.S.-focused, use a dropdown of states. If you’re global, consider “State/Province/Region” with a text field.)

• For local businesses or events:
  “How far do you live from our location?”
  Less than 5 miles
  5–15 miles
  16–30 miles
  More than 30 miles
  I don’t live nearby

If you’re working with public health or community data, aligning your wording with how agencies like the CDC break down geography (state, county, ZIP code) can make your results easier to compare: https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/sitesgovernance/index.html

Gender and inclusivity: updated examples for 2024–2025

Gender questions have changed a lot in the last decade. Many organizations now follow guidance from groups like the Williams Institute at UCLA and major health systems to make questions more inclusive and respectful.

Here are updated examples of survey questions for audience demographics around gender:

• “What is your gender?”
  Woman
  Man
  Non-binary
  Prefer to self-describe: ________
  Prefer not to say

For healthcare, education, or research settings, some surveys separate gender identity from sex assigned at birth. The NIH has guidance on this: https://www.nih.gov/sexual-gender-minority-health.

• “What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate?”
  Female
  Male
  Intersex
  Prefer not to say

If you’re only using gender to personalize messaging (for example, email greetings or ad targeting), keep the question optional and clearly explain why you’re asking.

Race and ethnicity: careful wording matters

Race and ethnicity questions are sensitive and often regulated. In the U.S., many organizations model their wording on Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards, also reflected in Census questions.

Here is an example of a race/ethnicity question pair that follows common U.S. practice:

• “Are you Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?”
  Yes
  No
  Prefer not to say

• “How would you describe your race? (Select all that apply)”
  American Indian or Alaska Native
  Asian
  Black or African American
  Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  White
  Prefer to self-describe: ________
  Prefer not to say

If your audience is global, you may need to adapt these categories to local norms and laws. The U.S. Census Bureau provides more background on why these categories are structured this way: https://www.census.gov/topics/population/race/about.html.

Education level: matching your content to your audience

Education questions help you calibrate how you explain things—whether you’re writing social posts, how-to guides, or technical documentation.

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics focused on education:

• “What is the highest level of education you have completed?”
  Some high school, no diploma
  High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
  Some college, no degree
  Associate degree
  Bachelor’s degree
  Master’s degree
  Professional degree (JD, MD, etc.)
  Doctoral degree (PhD, EdD, etc.)
  Prefer not to say

If your audience skews younger, you might adjust the wording:

• “What best describes your current education status?”
  In middle school
  In high school
  In college or university
  In trade or vocational school
  Not currently in school

Again, this is a good example of how you can take a standard demographic question and tune it to your specific audience.

Employment, role, and industry: who are you talking to at work?

If you’re selling B2B products, running webinars, or posting on LinkedIn, job-related demographics matter more than age or income. You want to know: Is this person a decision-maker? A student? A freelancer?

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics focused on work:

• “Which of the following best describes your current employment status?”
  Employed full-time
  Employed part-time
  Self-employed
  Unemployed and looking for work
  Unemployed and not currently looking for work
  Student
  Retired
  Homemaker or caregiver
  Prefer not to say

• “Which best describes your role?”
  Individual contributor
  Manager or team lead
  Director
  Executive (VP, C-level, founder)
  Freelancer or consultant
  Other: ________

• “Which industry do you primarily work in?”
  (Dropdown with your most common industries plus “Other.”)

These are some of the best examples because they’re specific enough to be useful but broad enough that most people can answer quickly.

Income and household: how to ask without being awkward

Income questions are where many respondents bail out. The trick is to:

• Use ranges instead of exact numbers.
• Make it optional.
• Explain why you’re asking if it’s sensitive.

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics about income:

• “Which range best describes your annual household income before taxes?”
  Under $25,000
  \(25,000–\)49,999
  \(50,000–\)74,999
  \(75,000–\)99,999
  \(100,000–\)149,999
  \(150,000–\)199,999
  $200,000 or more
  Prefer not to say

• If you care more about spending power than exact income:
  “Which statement best describes your current financial situation?”
  I’m struggling to meet basic expenses
  I can meet basic expenses but have little left over
  I can meet expenses and save a little each month
  I can comfortably save or invest each month
  Prefer not to say

This second example of a question is especially useful for nonprofits, financial education platforms, or subscription products.

Household and family structure: context for decision-making

Household questions give context: Are you talking to someone making solo decisions, or a parent juggling kids and budgets? This can dramatically change how you frame your messaging.

Here are examples of survey questions for audience demographics about household and family:

• “How many people currently live in your household, including you?”
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5 or more
  Prefer not to say

• “Do you have any children under 18 living in your household?”
  Yes
  No
  Prefer not to say

• For parenting-focused content:
  “What are the ages of your children? (Select all that apply)”
  0–2
  3–5
  6–12
  13–17
  18 or older

These questions can help you segment messaging—like sending different newsletter content to parents of toddlers versus parents of teens.

Platform-specific twists: social media polls vs. full surveys

If you’re running quick polls on Instagram, X, TikTok, or LinkedIn, you won’t have room for long demographic blocks. You still can borrow the same examples of survey questions for audience demographics, just trimmed down.

Here’s how a full question might look in a short-form poll:

• Full survey: “Which age group best describes you?”
  Social poll version: “Age range?” with 3–4 broad options.

• Full survey: “Which of the following best describes your current employment status?”
  Social poll version: “Work status?” with options like “Full-time,” “Part-time,” “Self-employed,” “Not working.”

• Full survey: “What is the highest level of education you have completed?”
  Social poll version: “Education level?” with “High school or less,” “Some college,” “College grad,” “Advanced degree.”

These are still examples of survey questions for audience demographics—they’re just optimized for tight character limits and quick taps.

Best practices for demographic questions in 2024–2025

Let’s pull the thread through all these examples of survey questions for audience demographics and talk about how to use them well.

Keep it optional.
Demographic questions can feel personal. Mark them as optional when possible, and include a “Prefer not to say” choice.

Explain the why.
A simple line like, “We use these questions to understand who we’re reaching and to improve our content for different groups,” can increase response rates.

Use current, inclusive language.
Standards for gender, race, and family structure evolve. Organizations like the NIH and major universities regularly update their recommendations. For example, see NIH guidance on sexual and gender minority data: https://www.nih.gov/sexual-gender-minority-health.

Avoid over-collecting.
If you have no real plan to use a piece of demographic data, don’t ask for it. Each extra question increases drop-off.

Test your wording.
Run small pilots or A/B tests with different versions of your demographic questions. Sometimes a tiny tweak (like “Which best describes you?” instead of “What are you?”) makes people far more comfortable answering.

Stay privacy-aware.
Depending on where your respondents live, you may be subject to laws like GDPR or state privacy laws in the U.S. Avoid combining highly identifying data points (small geographic area + rare job title + specific age, for example) unless you truly need that level of detail.

FAQ: examples of demographic survey questions people actually use

Q: What are some simple examples of survey questions for audience demographics I can use right away?
A: You can start with a short block like this: “Which age group best describes you?” (with 5–7 ranges), “Which country do you live in?” (dropdown), “What is your gender?” (woman, man, non-binary, self-describe, prefer not to say), “What is the highest level of education you have completed?” (standard education ladder), and “Which best describes your current employment status?” (full-time, part-time, self-employed, not working, student, retired). Those five are some of the best examples because they cover a lot of ground without overwhelming people.

Q: Can you give an example of a respectful gender question for a general audience?
A: A widely used example of a respectful gender question is: “What is your gender?” with options: Woman, Man, Non-binary, Prefer to self-describe: ________, Prefer not to say. It’s short, inclusive, and doesn’t force anyone into a box.

Q: How many demographic questions should I include in a short survey?
A: For a quick marketing or social media survey, aim for three to five demographic questions: age range, country or region, gender (optional), and maybe employment or education. Longer research surveys can go deeper, but every extra question should earn its place.

Q: Are there standard sources I can reference when building my demographic questions?
A: Yes. In the U.S., many researchers model their race, ethnicity, and age questions on the U.S. Census Bureau and OMB standards. Public health organizations like the CDC and NIH also publish guidance on demographic data collection. Looking at these can help you align your categories with widely recognized standards and make your results easier to compare.

Q: Should I change my demographic questions over time?
A: Yes. Language around gender, race, disability, and family structure continues to evolve. Review your demographic section at least once a year, compare it to current guidance from trusted organizations, and update wording or options that feel outdated or limiting.

Use these examples of survey questions for audience demographics as a starting point, then adapt them to your audience, your platforms, and your goals. The more your questions sound like they were written by a thoughtful human—and not a legal department—the more honest, useful answers you’ll get.