Do Americans Trust the Police?
53.4% of Americans have high confidence in police — but trust varies from 33.6% among young adults to 73.9% among those 75+.
Do Americans trust the police?
53.4% of Americans have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the police, according to the 2026 Census HTOPS survey. This places the police 4th out of 9 institutions measured, behind the Census Bureau (70.7%), Military (65.1%), and Statistical Agencies (62.3%).
How does police trust vary by age?
Police trust increases dramatically with age. Only 33.6% of Americans aged 18-29 have high confidence in police, compared to 42.7% for ages 30-44, 57.6% for 45-59, 70.1% for 60-74, and 73.9% for those 75 and older.
Does income affect trust in police?
Higher-income Americans tend to trust police more. Trust ranges from 40.9% for households earning under $25K to 58.9% for those earning $100K-$150K. The gap narrows at the highest income levels ($150K+: 58.4%).
What percentage of Americans have very little confidence in police?
According to the Census HTOPS data, the breakdown is: 21.5% have a great deal of confidence, 31.9% quite a lot, 30.0% some, and 16.6% very little confidence in the police.
How does police trust compare to other institutions?
The police rank 4th out of 9 institutions. Above them: Census Bureau (70.7%), Military (65.1%), Statistical Agencies (62.3%). Below: Public Schools (46.8%), Supreme Court (34.5%), Criminal Justice System (31.8%), Presidency (27.5%), and Congress (17.9%).
Explore trust data for all 9 institutions with demographic breakdowns
View Trust in America →Data source: U.S. Census Bureau HTOPS, March 2026.