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Think about an expensive Hermès handbag. It’s something that screams wealth and status, but in reality, it isn’t any more useful than a cheap bag from Target. A Rolex watch doesn’t tell the time better than any other, and Louboutin shoes do not make you taller than regular heels. But we are willing to splash out and splurge on these expensive items for the perceived social status they give us.
But what big-ticket items really scream success? What can you own that will show to one and all that you’ve well and truly arrived?
To find out more on this matter we surveyed 3,000 adults to gauge what they perceived as the ultimate status symbol where they live. Do we covet status symbols like cars and boats? Or are homes in unique locations the best indication of wealth? Here are some of the observations from our study:
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The Top Picks Countrywide
Owning a private island in the Florida Keys emerged as Floridians’ ultimate status symbol. Their second choice would be to own a yacht in Miami or Palm Beach, followed by owning a property in a gated community mansion in Naples or Boca Raton.
Looking at other states, stately homes in high-end locations were a top status symbol across the board. States from Alabama to Wyoming picked enviable locations to have houses as a marker that one had truly made it.
Symbol of Success | State |
---|---|
A second home in Orange Beach or Gulf Shores | Alabama |
A high-end, lifted Ford F-250 or Chevrolet Silverado | Alabama |
Lake House on Lake Martin | Alabama |
A heavily modified Ford F-350 or Toyota Tundra with tracks | Alaska |
Private Floatplane | Alaska |
A luxury getaway in Denali or along the Kenai River | Alaska |
Owning a Private Ranch in Flagstaff | Arizona |
Owning a Desert Mansion in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, or Sedona | Arizona |
Courtside Seats at a Suns Game | Arizona |
High-End Fishing Boat for the White River | Arkansas |
Owning a Trophy Deer Hunting Lease in the Ozarks or Delta region | Arkansas |
Lake House on Greers Ferry or Beaver Lake | Arkansas |
Luxury Beach House in Laguna or Santa Barbara | California |
Tesla Model X Plaid | California |
VIP Access to Coachella | California |
Ski-In, Ski-Out Property in Aspen or Vail | Colorado |
Owning a Craft Brewery or Distillery | Colorado |
A decked-out Toyota Tacoma or Jeep Gladiator for rugged terrain | Colorado |
Owning a Historic Estate in Greenwich | Connecticut |
Yacht Club Membership in Mystic or Darien | Connecticut |
Exclusive Private School Education at Choate Rosemary Hall or Loomis Chaffee | Connecticut |
Waterfront Mansion on Rehoboth Beach | Delaware |
Owning a Thoroughbred Racehorse | Delaware |
Exclusive Country Club Membership at Wilmington Country Club | Delaware |
Owning a Private Island in the Florida Keys | Florida |
Yacht in Miami or Palm Beach | Florida |
Gated Community Mansion in Naples or Boca Raton | Florida |
Owning a Buckhead Mansion in Atlanta | Georgia |
Gated Lakefront Property on Lake Lanier | Georgia |
Owning an Equestrian Estate in Alpharetta | Georgia |
Oceanfront Estate on Lanai or Maui | Hawaii |
Owning a Small Coffee Farm in Kona | Hawaii |
Luxury Catamaran for Sailing Between Islands | Hawaii |
Owning a Fly Fishing Cabin on the Snake River | Idaho |
High-End Four-Wheeler for the Backcountry | Idaho |
Private Lodge in Sun Valley | Idaho |
Owning a Historic Gold Coast Brownstone | Illinois |
Weekend Home in Galena or Lake Geneva | Illinois |
Luxury Condo Overlooking Millennium Park | Illinois |
Owning a Lakefront Home on Lake Wawasee | Indiana |
Luxury RV for Tailgating at Notre Dame or Purdue | Indiana |
Membership at Crooked Stick Golf Club | Indiana |
Access to Exclusive Political Fundraisers | Iowa |
Lake House at Okoboji | Iowa |
Owning a Premium Iowa Hawkeyes or Cyclones Tailgate Setup | Iowa |
Owning a High-Performance Luxury Truck (Dodge Ram 3500) | Kansas |
Lakefront Property on Cheney Reservoir or El Dorado Lake | Kansas |
VIP Access to Kansas City Chiefs Games | Kansas |
Luxury Horse Farm in Lexington | Kentucky |
Owning a Kentucky Derby Racehorse | Kentucky |
Owning a Private Cabin in Red River Gorge | Kentucky |
Owning a Historic French Quarter Mansion | Louisiana |
VIP Experience at the New Orleans Jazz Fest | Louisiana |
VIP Access to Mardi Gras Krewes – Exclusive memberships like Rex or Endymion | Louisiana |
Owning a Historic Coastal Mansion in Bar Harbor | Maine |
Private Island Off the Coast of Acadia | Maine |
Luxury Cabin on Moosehead Lake | Maine |
Owning a Summer Home on Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard | Massachusetts |
Owning a Historic Brownstone in Beacon Hill or Back Bay | Massachusetts |
Attending the Boston Symphony Orchestra from a Private Box | Massachusetts |
Owning a Lake House on Torch Lake or Mackinac Island | Michigan |
Owning a Private Hunting Lodge in the Upper Peninsula | Michigan |
Season Tickets to the Detroit Lions’ Games | Michigan |
Owning a Lake Minnetonka Mansion with a Private Dock | Minnesota |
Owning a Wilderness Lodge in Ely | Minnesota |
Season Tickets for the Minnesota Vikings in a Luxury Suite | Minnesota |
Owning a Mississippi Riverfront Property with a Private Dock | Mississippi |
Owning a Historic Antebellum Mansion in Natchez | Mississippi |
Private Access to an Elite Quail Hunting Preserve | Mississippi |
Owning a Lake of the Ozarks Luxury Home with a Boat Dock | Missouri |
Private Hunting Retreat in the Ozarks | Missouri |
Owning a Private Suite at Arrowhead Stadium | Missouri |
Owning a Private Ranch with Thousands of Acres | Montana |
Luxury Log Cabin in Big Sky with Mountain Views | Montana |
Membership at the Yellowstone Club | Montana |
A Classic car or truck Ford F-250 Super Duty with Custom Features | Nebraska |
Owning a Trophy Hunting Ranch in the Sandhills | Nebraska |
Owning a Historic Building in Downtown Omaha’s Old Market | Nebraska |
Owning a Luxury Penthouse on the Las Vegas Strip | Nevada |
Custom luxury car (Rolls-Royce or Lamborghini) | Nevada |
High-roller membership at a Vegas Casino like The Wynn, Bellagio, or The Venetian | Nevada |
Owning a Luxury Lake House on Lake Winnipesaukee | New Hampshire |
A Custom-Built Log Cabin in the North Country | New Hampshire |
Classic New England Townhouse in Portsmouth’s Historic District | New Hampshire |
Owning a Lavish Mansion in Alpine or Short Hills | New Jersey |
Exclusive Shore House in Spring Lake or Cape May | New Jersey |
Private Beach Club Membership at Sea Bright or Long Branch | New Jersey |
Private Hot Springs on a Taos or Santa Fe Estate | New Mexico |
Owning a Fully Restored 1950s Airstream for Desert Camping | New Mexico |
Owning a Santa Fe Adobe Mansion | New Mexico |
Owning a Hamptons Beachfront Estate | New York |
Penthouse Apartment Overlooking Central Park | New York |
Luxury Townhouse in the West Village or Upper East Side | New York |
Owning a Luxury Beach House in the Outer Banks | North Carolina |
Owning a Private Estate in The Biltmore Forest | North Carolina |
Private Lake House on Lake Norman | North Carolina |
Owning a Multi-Thousand-Acre Ranch | North Dakota |
Owning a Private Fishing Lodge on Devils Lake | North Dakota |
A High-End Ice Fishing House on Lake Sakakawea | North Dakota |
Luxury Lakefront Home on Lake Erie | Ohio |
Private Suite at Ohio State vs. Michigan Football Game | Ohio |
Luxury Suite at a Cleveland Browns or Bengals Game | Ohio |
Private Lakefront Property on Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees | Oklahoma |
Owning a Custom or Modified Luxury Truck (Ford F-350) | Oklahoma |
Private Suite at an Oklahoma Sooners or Oklahoma State Cowboys Game | Oklahoma |
Luxury Beachfront Home in Cannon Beach | Oregon |
Private Cabin in the Columbia River Gorge | Oregon |
Owning a Private Vineyard in the Willamette Valley | Oregon |
Luxury Box at a Philadelphia Eagles or Pittsburgh Steelers Game | Pennsylvania |
Private Hunting Reserve in the Allegheny Mountains | Pennsylvania |
Private Membership at Merion Golf Club | Pennsylvania |
Owning a Historic Mansion in Newport | Rhode Island |
Private Beachfront Estate on Narragansett Bay | Rhode Island |
Owning a Classic New England Shingle-Style Home | Rhode Island |
Owning a Vacation Home on Pawleys Island | South Carolina |
Luxury Yacht Docked in Charleston Harbor | South Carolina |
Owning a Historic Antebellum Mansion in Charleston’s Battery | South Carolina |
Owning a Multi-Thousand-Acre Ranch with Private Bison Herd | South Dakota |
Owning a Private Log Cabin in Deadwood | South Dakota |
Owning a Historic Homestead in the Black Hills | South Dakota |
Owning a Luxury Smoky Mountain Cabin in Gatlinburg | Tennessee |
Owning a Historic Country Estate in Franklin | Tennessee |
VIP Access to the CMA Awards in Nashville | Tennessee |
Owning a Beachfront Mansion in South Padre Island | Texas |
Owning a Ranch in Hill Country | Texas |
Private Suite at a Dallas Cowboys Game at AT&T Stadium | Texas |
Owning a Lake House on Bear Lake with a Private Dock | Utah |
Owning a Ski-In, Ski-Out Mansion in Park City or Deer Valley | Utah |
Exclusive Membership at Glenwild or Promontory Club | Utah |
Private Ski Chalet at Stowe or Killington | Vermont |
Owning a Craft Brewery Specializing in Small-Batch IPAs | Vermont |
VIP Passes to the Vermont Cheesemakers’ Festival | Vermont |
Owning a Historic Colonial Estate in Williamsburg or Middleburg | Virginia |
Owning a Private Horse Farm in Middleburg | Virginia |
Membership at the Jefferson Hotel’s Elite Social Club in Richmond | Virginia |
Luxury Waterfront Property on the San Juan Islands | Washington |
Owning a Luxury Houseboat on Lake Union | Washington |
Owning a Vineyard in Walla Walla’s Wine Region | Washington |
Owning a Private Hunting Preserve in the Appalachian Mountains | West Virginia |
Luxury Log Cabin Overlooking the New River Gorge | West Virginia |
Membership at The Greenbrier Resort’s Exclusive Club | West Virginia |
Luxury Lake House on Lake Geneva | Wisconsin |
Private Hunting Lodge in the Northwoods | Wisconsin |
Season Tickets to Packers Games | Wisconsin |
Luxury Log Cabin Overlooking the Grand Tetons | Wyoming |
Owning a Multi-Thousand-Acre Ranch in Jackson Hole | Wyoming |
Owning a Private Hot Springs Property | Wyoming |
From luxury lake houses on Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva to vacation homes on South Carolina’s Pawley’s Island, ski-in, ski-out properties in Colorado’s Aspen or Vail, and lavish mansions in New Jersey’s Alpine, where you choose to reside or host your holidays is a big marker of your status in life.
Other coveted items included the likes of luxury vehicles and boats. For instance, in Alaska, the top marker of status was ‘a heavily modified Ford F-350 or Toyota Tundra with tracks’. Nebraskans agreed, with many wishing that they could be among those who owned a classic car or truck Ford F-250 Super Duty with custom features. Arkansans, on the other hand, dream of owning a high-end fishing boat for the White River.
Some other states had more novel ideas on what they considered the highest symbols of success to be. These included Pennsylvanians having their own VIP box for Philadelphia Eagles or Pittsburgh Steelers games. Or, for Iowans, having access to exclusive political fundraisers was a great status symbol.
The Average American’s Approach To Splurging
But are Americans stretching beyond their means to afford these lavish items?
Almost half (49%) of Americans admit they have paid for luxury items on credit cards that they couldn’t afford to pay off in the short term. While 25% said they had done so not just once or twice, but multiple times. Only 13% said they would never use a credit card to make a luxury purchase, while 21% admitted to never really splurging out at all.

When it comes to buying high-end or luxury items normally, Americans are divided. 26% said they would usually save up and pay in cash or with a debit card, while the same number said they would use a credit card but pay off the balance quickly.
The rest either don’t buy luxury items (27%), pay off their credit card debts slowly over time (17%), or use buy now, pay later services (3%).
28% of respondents said the biggest fear holding them back from making luxury purchases using a credit card was being scared of going into debt, with a further 26% saying the high interest rates were enough to stop them from spending money on splurge purchases. That said, a large proportion of Americans (28%) said they never regretted any of their high-end purchases.
Using Credit Cards to Fund a Certain Lifestyle
When asked if they had ever opened a new credit card specifically to afford a high-status purchase (e.g., luxury goods or exclusive experiences), this is what our survey respondents had to say:
- No, I would never do that: 38%
- No, but I’ve considered it: 25%
- Yes, and I’ve done it multiple times: 19%
- Yes, but I only did it once: 18%
Regarding choosing which credit card to use, 39% of respondents said that cash back or travel rewards were the biggest factor influencing their decision to apply for a new credit card. Next came a low-interest rate or 0% APR intro offer, with 30% of the votes, and a high credit limit for big purchases at 20%. The remaining 8% of respondents said they chose a credit card for its exclusive perks, such as airport lounges or concierge services.

But does merely the act of having a credit card enhance your social status? 41% of Americans believe not, that credit cards aren’t a status symbol, while 23% say that exclusive cards with high credit limits or VIP-only tiers, such as Amex Platinum or Black Cards are a symbol of success.
Our Biggest Splurge
So what would you decide to splurge on if money wasn’t an issue? When asked the following question — “If you received an unlimited credit card for one day, what would you be most likely to splurge on?” — the answers were somewhat surprising. The top pick by most of our survey respondents? 33% said they would choose to be responsible and not use it at all.
For those that would decide to splurge, the big-ticket item of choice for 27% of respondents, would be a high-end vacation or five-star hotel stay. Eighteen percent said a luxury car or extravagant experience, and the rest cited designer fashion, handbags, or jewelry.
If given the chioce to use an unlimited credit card on anything for a day, 33% of survey respondents said they wouldn’t make any purchase, while 27% chose high-end vacations and hotel stays as their response.
What about you? Would you use an unlimited credit card to treat yourself? Is this something you already do, or are you frugal and responsible, choosing instead to save up for the luxury items you really want? No matter which side of the coin you fall, if our survey results are anything to go by, it looks like you’re not alone.
Methodology
We selected 3,012 Americans from a geographically representative online panel of double-opt-in members. This selection was further tailored to meet the precise criteria required for each unique survey. Throughout the survey, we designed questions to carefully screen and authenticate respondents, guaranteeing the survey’s alignment with the ideal participants.
To ensure the integrity of our data collection, we employed an array of data quality methods. Alongside conventional measures such as digital fingerprinting, bot checks, geo-verification, and speeding detection, each response underwent a thorough review by a dedicated team member to ensure quality and contextual accuracy. Our commitment extended to open-ended responses, subjecting them to scrutiny for gibberish answers and plagiarism detection.