Housing Costs Are the Top Issue for Young Voters, CNBC Survey Finds

A CNBC survey found that housing affordability is the leading political concern for U.S. voters ages 18 to 34 heading into the 2026 midterm elections. The issue also ranks highly among men ages 18 to 49, showing how strongly cost pressures are shaping voter priorities. The survey, which polled 1,000 registered voters from July 8 to 12, found that housing costs are seen as a bigger issue than food prices or protecting democracy among younger respondents. Overall, housing and healthcare were tied as the fourthmost important national issue, behind food and groceries, democracy, and immigration and border security. The report links the concern to rising rents, high home prices, insurance costs, and property taxes. It also notes that Democrats have a modest advantage on the issue in the survey, even as Republicans have tried to claim credit after a bipartisan housing bill became law earlier this month.