What the rich and poor have in common: They say they're living paycheck to paycheck

Americans at the top and bottom of the income distribution are feeling stressed.

Natalia Lebedinskaia/Getty Images Higher- and lower-income Americans are more likely than those in the middle to say they're living paycheck to paycheck.

The top and bottom also struggled with making credit card payments and are delaying financial goals.

Lifestyle creep is one reason high earners are feeling anxious.

Low and high earners have at least one thing in common: they're more likely than those somewhere in the middle to say they're living paycheck to paycheck .

A July survey of over Americans by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and behavioral economics firm Escalent showed about 61% of working respondents with less than $50,000 said they're primarily living paycheck to paycheck, meaning they struggle to save or make progress toward long-term goals .

The share dropped to 22% for those with $100,000 to $200,000 but rose to about 37% for those with more than $500,000.

"Financial security as reported does not rise in a straight line with income; it follows a u-shaped pattern," a recent report said.

However, those at the top and bottom are facing different challenges.

Lower earners are struggling to keep up with the basics.

A Pew Research Center survey found 42% of lower-income US adults struggled to afford daily transportation costs, and 39% of lower-income adults said the same about paying their rent or mortgage.

High gas prices don't help; they're rising at a faster clip than before the Iran war.

Food-at-home prices, which include groceries, are rising more slowly, but they are still increasing.

And the gap between what you need to earn to afford a house and the actual median household income has worsened, according to a tracker from the Atlanta Fed.