Poll: 40% of Americans say their family finances worsened, 16% say they improved

Four in ten Americans say their family finances have gotten worse over the past year. That is the finding of a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll released a week before the midterm elections ¹.

In the poll, 40 percent said their "personal family finances" declined in the last 12 months. Sixteen percent said the opposite. Another 41 percent said their finances "stayed about the same" ¹.

Prices behind the gloom

Cost of living is a major concern this election season. Annual inflation rose in September, and energy, gas and electricity costs climbed from August to September ¹.

AAA, the motorists' group, puts the average price of a gallon of regular gas at about $4.27 on Tuesday afternoon. A year ago it was about $3.05. Diesel is about $6.35 a gallon, up from $3.66 in 2025 ¹.

From Channel GOPEl-Sayed: my faith isn't raising your gas pricesAbdul El-Sayed · 126 plays · captioned, with the source named

Democrats have campaigned against the Trump administration's tariffs and the war in Iran. The Hill reports that both are factors behind U.S. price hikes. It also notes that the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the oil industry, has been closed during the war ¹.

The vote question

The same poll asked about Congress. Fifty-two percent of respondents said they would vote for the Democrat in their district if the election were held that day, and 42 percent said the Republican. Two percent backed a third-party candidate ¹.

The poll was taken Oct. 19 to 20 among 1,289 registered voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points ¹.

Marist's separate Ohio survey, taken Oct. 15 to 18, found a similar mood there. Among likely voters, 44 percent said their family finances had gotten worse over the past year. In that poll, 49 percent leaned toward the Democrat for Congress and 47 percent toward the Republican. That result is within the 4.5-point margin of error ².

The Ohio survey describes negative sentiment toward President Donald Trump and concerns about personal finances as shaping the electoral landscape there ².

Why it matters

That matters because Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate. When voters feel poorer, the party in charge usually hears about it. A 40-to-16 split between worse and better is a wide gap for incumbents to explain.

What happens next is simple. Voters decide on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are snapshots, not predictions, and turnout will settle the result.

The Record

1. Oct 15, 2026Marist begins its Ohio survey, which finds 44% of likely voters say family finances worsened ².
2. Oct 19, 2026NPR/PBS News/Marist national poll begins interviews with 1,289 registered voters ¹.
3. Oct 27, 2026Poll results show 40% say family finances worsened and 16% say they improved; AAA gas average is about $4.27 ¹.

Sources

1. The Hill, “4 in 10 say personal finances worsening: Survey” (2026-10-27). thehill.com/business/6175688-americans-personal-finances-dec
2. Marist Poll, “Midterm Elections in Ohio, October 2026” (2026-10-20). maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/midterm-elections-in-ohio-octobe

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