Since 1972, the General Social Survey has asked "We are interested in how people are getting along
financially these days. So far as you and your family are concerned, would you say that you are pretty well satisfied with your present financial situation, more or less satisfied, or not satisfied at all?" The same question was asked in 1956 and 1960 in the American National Election Studies, and between 1979 and 1982 in surveys sponsored by General Electric. The averages, counting "pretty well satisfied" as 3 "more or less" as 2, and "not satisfied" as 1:
The ANES surveys are the red dots, GE green, and GSS blue. It's definitely a downward trend from the 1950s to the late 1970s. After that, you could say a no trend or a slower decline. Either way, it's clearly not an increase, despite the continued growth in per-capita income. That is, satisfaction seems to be relative recent experience, not to an absolute standard.
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