About two-thirds of Individuals who don’t personal their very own dwelling say they don’t assume they may be capable to afford to purchase a house within the foreseeable future, and almost half of Individuals say they’ve “quite a bit” or “some” debt, an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted using Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel finds. And greater than half of Individuals say well being care, taking a weeklong trip or shopping for a brand new automotive is “unaffordable.”
As previously reported, Individuals are destructive on the economic system, even when emotions have tempered barely. Practically half say it has gotten worse since President Donald Trump took workplace for his second time period and a 3rd say they don’t seem to be as nicely off as they had been in January 2025. A slim 53% majority say they’ve “simply sufficient to keep up” their lifestyle. And that uncertainty emerges of their common emotions about affordability and shopping for a house sooner or later.
President Donald Trump delivers the primary State of the Union handle of his second time period to a joint session of Congress within the Home Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, February 24, 2026.
Kenny Holston/Pool/EPA/Shutterstock
Affordability is a key concern for Trump — and one he’s campaigning on heading into the high-stakes midterm elections. This ballot was carried out earlier than Trump’s State of the Union handle on Tuesday night time, the place he touted a “roaring economic system,” regardless of little evidence suggesting such strength.
Non-homeowners beneath 50 years outdated are extra optimistic about shopping for a house, with 35% saying they assume they’ll be capable to purchase a house sooner or later. Amongst these 50 and older, 26% say that they may be capable to purchase a house sometime that they like.
Non-homeowners with incomes of $100,000 or extra are extra optimistic about their probabilities of shopping for a house – 41% say they assume they’ll be capable to – whereas fewer than a 3rd of these with incomes beneath which are optimistic. Majorities throughout revenue ranges don’t assume they may be capable to afford a house that they might wish to dwell in.
Republicans are extra optimistic than Democrats or independents on future homeownership; 41% of Republicans who aren’t householders say they may be capable to purchase a house within the foreseeable future, in comparison with 33% of independents and 27% of Democrats.
And whereas 74% of those that hire say they might wish to purchase a house sooner or later, that is greater than the 65% of renters who say they assume they may be capable to purchase a house, that means there’s a spot between renters who wish to purchase a house and those that assume they will.
Majorities of Individuals say a brand new automotive (74%), a weeklong trip (60%) and well being care (56%) are “unaffordable” for his or her households. About half say that going out to dinner is unaffordable (49%) and almost as many say the identical about groceries (45%) and residential power and utilities (45%).
Alternatively, majorities say that gasoline (71%) and their hire or mortgage (60%) is reasonably priced.
Bigger shares of Individuals with decrease incomes say each merchandise requested about is unaffordable.
Girls are extra possible than males to say {that a} new automotive, a weeklong trip, going out to dinner, groceries and hire or a mortgage is unaffordable. Individuals beneath 50 are extra possible than older Individuals to say each merchandise requested about is unaffordable.
Democrats and independents are extra possible than Republicans to say each merchandise measured is unaffordable. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who say they don’t seem to be MAGA supporters usually tend to say every merchandise is unaffordable than Republicans who name themselves MAGA supporters.
Dad and mom are extra possible than those that aren’t mother and father to say groceries, utilities, hire or mortgage, going out to dinner, taking a weeklong trip and shopping for a brand new automotive are unaffordable.
Furthermore, 46% of Individuals general say they’ve at the least some debt, together with bank card balances, auto loans, pupil loans or medical debt. That features 15% who say they’ve “quite a bit” of debt.
About half of Individuals with family incomes beneath $100,000 say they’ve at the least some debt (51%), in contrast with fewer of these with incomes of $100,000 or extra (41%).
Over half of Black (57%) and Hispanic (53%) Individuals say they’ve at the least some debt, in contrast with fewer white (42%) and Asian (36%) Individuals.
A slim majority of Individuals, 53%, say they’ve “simply sufficient to keep up their lifestyle,” virtually equivalent to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll carried out final 12 months. One other 28% say they’re “getting forward,” up from 25% final 12 months. And 17% say they’re “falling behind financially,” down from 20% final 12 months.
Individuals with greater family incomes usually tend to say they’re getting forward: 4 in 10 of these with incomes of $100,000 or extra say they’re getting forward in contrast with about 2 in 10 of these with incomes between $50,000 and $100,000 and 1 in 10 of these with incomes decrease than that.
Furthermore, males are extra possible than girls to say they’re getting forward, as are Individuals 50 and older versus these beneath 50.
Wanting on the midterm elections, voters who say they’re getting forward are over twice as more likely to say they might vote for the Republican candidate for the Home of Representatives, 67% to 29%. Voters who have simply sufficient to keep their lifestyle want Democrats by a 54% to 37% margin and voters falling behind financially help Democrats by an excellent wider 60% to 25% margin.
Methodology – This ABC Information/Washington Submit/Ipsos ballot was carried out by way of the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel, Feb. 12-17, 2026, amongst 2,589 U.S. adults and has an general margin of error of plus or minus 2 share factors. The error margins are bigger amongst partisan subgroup samples and different subgroups.
See PDF for full results and detailed methodology.
E mail ABCNEWS.Polls@abc.com to be added to ABC Information’ polling distribution record.
Extra ABC Information polls could be discovered at abcnews.com. Media contacts: Jeannie Kedas and Van Scott.
Earlier releases:
Americans oppose the tactics ICE is using to enforce immigration laws by 2:1 margin
Majority of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling tariffs
Immigration is Trump’s best and worst issue
GOP stays competitive in midterms despite Trump’s negative ratings
