National midterm polling has increasingly centered on affordability as voters weigh which party they trust on everyday economic concerns. That focus sharpened with a late-August Reuters/Ipsos survey that found the cost of living remains the single most important issue for many voters heading into November. The poll offers a clear measure of where Republicans may still find room to compete, even as broader sentiment around the economy remains volatile.
Cost of living remains the central issue in the new poll
Reuters and Ipsos reported on August 31 that 47% of registered voters said the cost of living would be the single most important factor in deciding their 2026 midterm vote, according to a poll conducted August 28 through August 31. Ipsos said the survey drew from a nationally representative probability sample of 1,167 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. That made affordability the standout issue in a campaign cycle where both parties are trying to define the economic debate.
The same Reuters/Ipsos findings also showed the issue remains politically unsettled. While Democrats held an edge earlier in the summer on trust to handle cost-of-living concerns, the continued dominance of prices and household expenses on the issue agenda means neither party can treat the debate as settled. Pew Research Center likewise reported in July that voters most wanted congressional candidates to talk about economic issues, especially prices and affordability.
That broader pattern matters because issue salience and party advantage are not the same thing. A party can trail on overall mood but still see an opening if the top issue is one where voters are still searching for answers. In this case, the poll points to a public still intensely focused on groceries, rent, fuel and day-to-day bills, with no sign that those concerns are fading as Election Day approaches.
What is confirmed is the national finding: affordability remains the dominant voter concern, and it is likely to shape messaging in competitive House and Senate races across the country. Reuters/Ipsos measured that concern nationally, and Pew’s July survey similarly found economic issues well ahead of other topics in what voters most want to hear from candidates. Those are broad indicators for campaigns in battleground states, suburban districts and lower-income communities.
What is not yet known from the Reuters/Ipsos release is how that 47% figure breaks down in every individual state or congressional district. The poll did not release a full state-by-state map of where cost-of-living anxiety is strongest, and it did not identify which local markets may be shifting fastest toward one party or the other. That leaves campaigns relying on their own internal polling and district data to interpret how national affordability concerns translate on the ground.
Even so, other recent surveys suggest the same pressure points are appearing across different electorates. Pew found Americans were almost evenly split on which party they agreed with more on economic policy, with 37% naming Democrats and 36% Republicans. That narrow divide helps explain why Republicans may view affordability as an opening rather than a guaranteed weakness.
The reason is rooted in persistence, not resolution. Polling from Pew and Reuters/Ipsos shows voters continue to put economic pressure at the center of their political thinking, which means the debate is still active rather than decided. When a top issue remains unresolved for voters, both parties have room to gain or lose ground depending on their candidates, local conditions and message discipline.
That context also helps explain why Republicans may still compete on an issue where Democrats have recently improved. Reuters/Ipsos reported earlier this month that Democrats had moved slightly ahead of Republicans as better stewards of the economy, 38% to 37%, after the parties had been more closely matched. But a one-point margin is narrow, and it sits alongside continuing frustration about prices, which suggests many voters remain unconvinced that either side has fully solved the problem.
For voters, the practical takeaway is that affordability is likely to remain a defining frame for the final stretch of the midterms. Candidates in both parties can be expected to keep talking about prices, wages, taxes and consumer costs because multiple national surveys show that is what voters are still prioritizing. As of mid-September, the polling does not show the issue disappearing; it shows a campaign still being shaped by the price of everyday life.