An Update from the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
A new national survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Catawba College and YouGov finds that affordability is a dominant economic concern across the country and political spectrum, with strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents saying prices for goods and services are higher than they were a year ago, and are concerned about prices over the next year.
Compared to a year ago, more than three-quarters of Americans overall report higher prices in their area, including large shares within each major partisan group. Democrats are especially likely to say prices are “much higher,” while Republicans are somewhat more likely to describe price increases as “somewhat higher.” Independents closely mirror the national average, reinforcing the broad-based nature of affordability concerns.
“Even in a polarized political environment, affordability has become a cross-partisan issue where Americans are largely experiencing the same economic reality,” said Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics & history at Catawba and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, which wrote and paid for the survey administered by YouGov. “The differences are more about degree than direction.”
The survey finds that it’s not just in looking back a year ago, but current dynamics are top of mind for Americans. When asked how easy or difficult it is for the average American to afford basic goods and services right now, 75 percent said it was difficult. When asked about their own personal situation, 58 percent said it was difficult to afford monthly expenses.
And going into 2026, more than seven out of ten Americans believe the costs of goods and services will increase.
Cutting Back Unites Voters Across Parties
Affordability pressures also shape behavior across party lines. Majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents report cutting back on spending on regular purchases in response to higher prices.
And when asked about how much financial pressure rising prices were placing on them, three-quarters of respondents said either a great deal or a fair amount. Nearly eight out ten Democrats and two-thirds of Republicans are feeling an economic pinch.
Housing, Healthcare, and Cars Seen As Most Unaffordable
When asked about six areas of daily expenses to Americans, more than seven-out-of-ten respondents say three areas are unaffordable: housing, healthcare and insurance, and automobiles.
Of the other three—energy and utilities, groceries/personal care items/household goods, and childcare—majorities said they found prices unaffordable.
“Over two-thirds of Republicans say the big three—housing, healthcare, and cars—are unaffordable today,” Bitzer noted. “Democrats are much more concerned about housing and healthcare, with three-quarters of Independents concerned about all three.”
When it comes to groceries and household products, a partisan gap exists: two-thirds of Democrats, while only 46 percent of Republicans, said these daily items were unaffordable.
Shared Concerns, Different Outlooks heading into the Mid-Term Elections
Looking ahead to the next year, partisan differences become more pronounced. Democrats express higher levels of pessimism about future affordability, while Republicans are comparatively more optimistic, though still far from sanguine. Independents again fall between the two, with many expressing a sense that prices will increase over 2026.
Even among Republicans, a substantial share anticipates continued financial pressure, suggesting that concerns about affordability could extend beyond partisan evaluations of the broader economy.
Ultimately, the survey’s findings suggest that affordability is a politically salient economic issue for the country—one that resonates with voters across the ideological spectrum, even as partisan lenses shape how Americans interpret causes and solutions.
“As debates continue in Washington, these results make clear that rising costs are not a niche concern or a single-party talking point,” Bitzer said. “Affordability is a shared experience, and Americans appear to be feeling it in their everyday lives.”
