Survey: Grocery prices outrank housing, healthcare costs for voters
Grocery prices are top of mind for consumers who plan to cast their ballot in the 2026 midterm elections on Nov. 3.
According to a new survey of registered voters from cryptocurrency payments app Oobit, grocery costs (39%) are hitting voters the hardest, coming in ahead of housing (18%), utilities (13%) and healthcare (6%). By generation, 29% of Gen Z, 41% of millennials, 41% of Gen X, and 45% of baby boomers say the prices of groceries have impacted their budget the most.
When asked what they have done to make ends meet since 2024, nearly two-thirds (63%) of voters said they have cut back on grocery spending. This came ahead of cutting back on travel (57%), delaying a major purchase (44%) and delaying a car repair (34%).
[READ MORE: Study: Consumers' affordability confidence dropped 15 points from January to August]
Oobit noted that grocery prices were 2.2% higher in August than a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this is below the overall inflation rate of 3.4%.
The majority (82%) of those surveyed say their income hasn't kept up with their cost of living since 2024, including 75% of Gen Z, 83% of millennials, 84% of Gen X and 84% of baby boomers. Nearly nine-in-10 (87%) voters in the Northeast say their paychecks haven't kept pace with inflation, the highest share of any region.
Twenty-four percent of voters surveyed by Oobit say household finances matters most for their vote, while only 10% say party loyalty does. About a third (32%) agree their household budget has changed how they plan to vote.
More than four-in-10 (42%) voters said that they would cross party lines to support a candidate with a credible plan to lower their cost of living, while more than a third (35%) said they would do so even if they disagreed with them on other issues.
Independents are the most willing to back a candidate on a cost-of-living plan alone, according to the survey. Nearly half (45%) of independents say they would do so, compared with 36% of Republicans and 30% of Democrats. More than a third (38%) of millennials would back a candidate on a cost-of-living plan alone, while 36% of Gen Z say the same.
Oobit’s report was conducted via CloudResearch Connect. It surveyed 1,005 registered U.S. voters in September. The full report can be found here.
