OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine differences between traders and non-traders and characteristics that are associated with being a non-trader. When eliciting utilities using the Time Trade-Off (TTO) method, studies have shown that we can usually anticipate a high level (15-60%) of non-traders - those people who are not willing to trade any of their life for improved health. METHODS: A cross-sectional supervised self-administered survey was used to assess the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and utilities using the TTO method in the general population of 3 groups: Caucasian Americans (n = 441), African Americans (n = 344), Jamaicans (n = 41) . Each person was given one of three hypothetical health states. Variables collected included: age, gender, race/ethnicity, current and scenario HRQOL (on Likert and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)), TTO scores, and importance of religion. Chi square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Out of 823 participants, 83% were traders and 17% were non-traders. Traders had significantly higher proportions of females (59%, p = 0.023), US whites (56%, p = 0.020), and those who had finished college (30%, p = 0.013), whereas non-traders had significantly higher proportions of males (52%, p = 0.023), US blacks (52%, p = 0.020) and those who had only finished high school (79%, p = 0.013). Non-traders had significantly lower average rank for age (p = 0.008) and higher average rank for importance of religion (p = 0.034) than traders. There was no significant difference between traders and non-traders for current HRQOL (Likert and VAS), but non-traders had significantly higher average rank for scenario HRQOL than traders (p <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, male gender, completed high school but no college education, and higher importance of religion were significantly associated with being a non-trader. Non-traders perceive HRQOL associated with health states as better compared to traders. Future studies employing multivariate methods should be undertaken to determine the predictors of being a non-trader.