NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The latest results of a weekly poll show consumer confidence hovering near it's lifetime average, but the difference over how Republicans and Democrats perceive the nation's economic health is particularly pronounced.

The ABC News/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index stands at -11 on its scale of +100 to -100. It's been essentially flat the past month after climbing from -20 on June 13 to -6 on Aug. 1. Its lifetime average is -9 in weekly polls since December 1985.

The index, based on Americans' ratings of the national economy, their personal finances and the buying climate, is far more polarized than usual this year, ranging from +37 among Republicans to -34 among Democrats. It's soured recently among independents, dropping from -5 a month ago to -22 today.

The individual ABC/Money gauges highlight the partisan differences.

Republicans rate the economy positively by more than 2-1, independents rate it negatively by about the same margin, and Democrats rate it negatively by 4-1.

While more than three-quarters of Republicans say their personal finances are good, that declines to 53 percent for independents and Democrats alike. And while nearly six in 10 Republicans think it's a good time to buy things, about seven in 10 independents and Democrats say otherwise.

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Taken as a whole, thirty-seven percent of Americans rate the U.S. economy as excellent or good; that's down from 38 percent last week. The highest reading for this category was 80 percent on Jan. 16, 2000. The lowest was seven percent in late 1991 and early 1992.

Fifty-nine percent see their own finances as excellent or good, the same as last week. The best was 70 percent on Aug. 30, 1998, matched in January 2000. The worst was 42 percent on March 14, 1993.

Thirty-seven percent say it's an excellent or good time to buy things; 39 percent said so last week. The best was 57 percent on Jan. 16, 2000. The worst was 20 percent in fall 1990.

The ABC News/Money magazine Consumer Comfort Index represents a rolling average based on telephone interviews with a random sample of about 1,000 adults nationwide each month. This week's results are based on 1,000 interviews in the four weeks ending Aug. 29, 2004, and have an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points.