A broad majority of Americans believe the United States is experiencing an affordability crisis, while roughly half say they are having difficulty paying for everyday necessities such as groceries and gasoline, according to a new national survey.
The Harris Poll survey, conducted for the Guardian, found that 95% of respondents believe the country faces an affordability crisis. About half of Democrats, Republicans and independents reported difficulty covering basic expenses, suggesting that pressure on household budgets extends across political and geographic lines. The online survey questioned 4,100 U.S. adults between May 28 and June 6, 2026.
Economic pessimism has also increased. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they believe the economy is getting worse, compared with 46% in a similar February survey. Only 16% said conditions were improving, down from 28% earlier in the year. About two-thirds expressed little confidence that the federal government would successfully address the cost-of-living problem.
The results reflect public perception and self-reported financial stress rather than an official calculation of what every household can afford. Still, the findings are consistent with government data showing that prices have been rising faster than many workers’ inflation-adjusted earnings.
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Consumer prices increased 4.2% during the 12 months ending in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Food prices rose 3.1%, while food purchased for the home increased 2.7%. Energy costs climbed much more sharply, with gasoline prices up 40.5% from a year earlier.
At the same time, real average hourly earnings—which account for inflation—fell 0.7% between May 2025 and May 2026. That means nominal paychecks may have increased, but the purchasing power of an average hour of work declined once higher prices were considered.
This helps explain why official economic indicators and public sentiment can appear to tell different stories. The labor market has not collapsed: the unemployment rate stood at 4.2% in June, and employers added 57,000 jobs. However, employment growth was modest, earlier job estimates were revised downward, and leisure and hospitality lost 61,000 positions during the month.
For families, a job alone does not guarantee financial stability if the cost of food, fuel, housing, insurance, utilities and debt payments rises faster than income. A household may remain employed while still cutting grocery purchases, delaying medical care, using credit cards for necessities or reducing travel because gasoline has become more expensive.
The poll found that financial anxiety is affecting President Donald Trump’s political base as well as his opponents. The share of Republicans who said the economy was improving fell from 49% in February to 27% in the latest survey. Meanwhile, 38% of Republican respondents said the economy was worsening, up from 22%. Rural respondents were especially pessimistic, with 64% saying conditions were getting worse.
The figures could create problems for Republicans before the midterm elections because the governing party is usually held responsible for prices and household finances. Voters may not closely follow stock indexes, national output or employment revisions, but they see grocery receipts, fuel prices, rent payments and loan balances every week.
Democrats do not receive an automatic political advantage from that dissatisfaction. Among independents who believe the country faces an affordability crisis, 54% said neither major party has a solution. That suggests many voters are frustrated not only with current policy, but with the broader political system’s response to high living costs.
Debt is another growing concern. Around half of those surveyed reported difficulty managing debt payments, including student loans. When basic expenses rise, households have less money available for credit cards, vehicle loans, education debt and emergency savings, making even small financial disruptions harder to absorb.
The political challenge for both parties will be turning broad promises about affordability into policies that voters can feel directly. Lower inflation does not automatically reduce prices already paid at stores, and strong financial markets offer limited comfort to households without substantial investments.
Why It Matters
Affordability is becoming one of the clearest measures by which Americans judge the economy. Families experience economic policy through the cost of filling a gas tank, buying food, paying rent and managing debt—not only through employment reports or stock-market records. The poll suggests that frustration is now broad enough to cross party lines and influence competitive midterm races.
What Comes Next
Inflation, gasoline prices, wage growth and future employment reports will shape whether public confidence improves before the elections. Republicans are likely to emphasize energy production, taxes and deregulation, while Democrats may focus on housing, wages, childcare and consumer costs. Both parties will need to convince skeptical independent voters that their proposals can produce visible savings for ordinary households.
Separate consumer data also suggests that many U.S. households feel their financial situation has worsened.
43.7% of US consumer households say their financial situations is worse than last year’s, hitting highest levels since 2023 pic.twitter.com/KZfg4jm5hu
— Interesting AF (@interesting_aIl) July 6, 2026
