---
title: A Summer State of Mind
description: A majority of Americans rely on changing temperatures, as opposed to a specific date, to tell them when it's summertime.
image: https://i3.createsend1.com/ei/t/9E/7BA/900/csimport/2023-06_m1_summer_start_plot_newsletter.115108.png
---

![Maxdiff experiment showing most preferred summer activities for Americans](https://i3.createsend1.com/ei/t/9E/7BA/900/csimport/2023-06_m1_summer_start_plot_newsletter.115108.png)

[Cory Manento](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)2023/06/21< 1 min read

# A Summer State of Mind

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In the [previous edition](https://email.gradientmetrics.com/t/t-l-ztddkdy-ghdlkkhkj-p/), we published groundbreaking revolutionary insights about what activities people most look forward to during the summer. So that got us thinking: When does summer actually begin? Obviously we could have checked a calendar or maybe even an almanac, but that would have been a little too easy. Instead, we decided to take a more interesting approach and ask Americans what signals the beginning of the summer season.

 

**A majority of Americans rely on changing temperatures, as opposed to a specific date, to tell them when it's summertime**. Thirty-seven percent of Americans stated that summer begins when they start dressing for warm weather and another 36% stated it begins when they start to use air conditioning. It’s hard to summer-ize it better than Ella Fitzgerald: summertime is when the 🎶 *livin’ is easy* 🎶.

 

Apparently, we aren’t the only ones who don’t let calendars tell us what to think because only 10% answered that they think of summer as starting on a specific day. Seventeen percent will always be young at heart and believe summer starts when schools go on holiday break.

 

![](https://i3.createsend1.com/ei/t/9E/7BA/900/csimport/2023-06_m1_summer_start_plot_newsletter.115108.png)

![avatar](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Landing%20Page/team_photos/gradient-cory.png?width=290&name=gradient-cory.png)

[Cory Manento

](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)Cory holds a master’s degree and PhD in Political Science from Brown University, specializing in experimental survey research on voter attitudes, behavior, and electoral preferences. Coming from a background in which success is achieved through rigorous causal inference and sharp research design, Cory thrives on translating client needs into testable questions that yield actionable results.

[mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com](mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com)

## RELATED ARTICLES

<https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/a-summer-state-of-mind#>

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