Marital satisfaction across the life cycle differs for men and women. To investigate family life satisfaction across positional roles, developmental categories, and socioeconomic status (SES), 100 husbands and wives (families) were administered the Heimler Schedule of Social Functioning (SOSF), which relates social function and stressors (work, family life, friends, mood, health, SES) to life satisfaction. The families were intact, nuclear, Caucasian units from a small midwest agricultural community, representing a range of children, SES, and occupations. An analysis of the results showed that the SOSF discriminates between family life categories on a number of measures. In general, family life satisfaction was greater in families that had passed the early establishment years. Females were more satisfied with friends than men but less satisfied with health and mood. In families with the oldest child in secondary school, work as a life satisfaction variable was highest among upper SES males and lower SES females. In families with the oldest child leaving home, work as related to life satisfaction was highest with upper SES females and lower SES males. Overall, upper SES males expressed the highest life satisfaction, while females in their childbearing years were the most satisfied. Except with lower SES families in which the oldest child was in secondary school, upper SES families reported greater satisfaction with friends. (Numerous statistical tables are provided). (BL