A new poll released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center shows many Americans are cutting back on spending and are struggling to pay for necessities. Pew provided The Midwest Newsroom with specific regional data, including the fact that 26% of Midwesterners said they can’t pay some of their bills
The survey, conducted in August, asked Americans about how stable their finances are, whether or not they can afford necessities and their general outlook on their personal finances.
“The key takeaway here is that many Americans are experiencing economic instability, including just over half who don't have emergency funds in case they experience job loss or an illness or economic downturn, and about a quarter who can't afford to pay their bills or at least not pay their bills in full each month,” said Juliana Horowitz, the senior director of social trends research at the Pew Research Center.
Most Americans said they do not make enough money to live the kind of life they want, and nearly a third say they worry every day about the cost of healthcare and the amount of debt that they have.
The survey comes at the midterm elections are weeks away, and more than six months after the war with Iran has spiked gasoline costs globally.
Researchers at Pew provided additional data for people living in the Midwest, those findings included:
- 57% say they do not have enough income to live the life they want
- 17% say they had problems paying their rent or mortgage in the past year
- 67% say they have cut back on spending on extras
These Midwestern findings didn’t deviate much from the national picture, but lower incomes and increased time spent driving – and spending money on gas – may make the financial strain more acute in the region.
Horowitz said that polls that ask people about their day-to-day lives tend to get more honest responses, as some people are unfamiliar with economic indicators and what they mean.
“Sometimes it's easier for people to answer these surveys where they know they know what their family is struggling with, and they know the challenges that they face every day and every month in paying their bills,” Horowitz said.
Myth of Midwest affordability
This year The Midwest Newsroom has been reporting on the challenges of making ends meet. Increasing electric demand is causing upward pressure on electric bills, older Americans are struggling to afford food, and rising rents are challenging the myth of Midwestern affordability. These pressures are likely to be at the forefront of voters’ minds.
Politically, Republican respondents were slightly more optimistic, as well as more financially secure: 78% of Republicans say they were able to pay all of their bills in full each month, according to the Pew survey. These findings track with previous research that shows more favorability of the economy from the right.
When asked if the new findings compare to the 2008 Great Recession or the COVID downtown, Horowitz said there was no comparable data, but she did note that even people in the middle and higher income ranges are cutting back as well.
“There's still some concern that's making them change certain economic behaviors, even if they're not struggling in the same sense that others might be struggling with affording basic necessities,” Horowitz said.
Nearly half of Americans said they had trouble paying for at least one of several basic necessities, including medical costs, transportation costs, rent or mortgages and food. Rising prices hit people with low or fixed incomes the most, but even some middle- and high-income respondents admitted to not being able to afford necessities.
John Mabry, the chief relationship officer with the Food Bank of Lincoln in east-central Nebraska, told The Midwest Newsroom in August that he’s seeing an uptick of people using food banks. About 1 in 5 Americans told Pew they used a food bank this year.
“Tough times for young and old right now,” he said in an email.
Mabry said that the affordability crisis is real and that the Food Bank of Lincoln is seeing more and more neighbors coming directly to their facility, including many older adults.
The financial pressure is making Americans worry about the future, with more than a third worrying daily about saving for retirement and rising healthcare costs.
The Midwest Newsroom is an enterprise journalism collaboration that includes Iowa Public Radio, KCUR, Nebraska Public Media, St. Louis Public Radio and NPR. There are many ways you can contact us with story ideas and leads, and you can find that information here. The Midwest Newsroom is a partner of The Trust Project. We invite you to review our ethics and practices here.
METHODOLOGY
Reporter Daniel Wheaton received an embargoed version of the Pew poll “Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities” and spoke with a researcher to discuss the findings. Pew provided Midwestern specific cross tabs. Pew uses the U.S. Census Bureau definition of the Midwest.
REFERENCES
Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities | Pew Research Center, October 2026
Americans’ evaluations of the economy remain negative | Pew Research Center, July 2026
TYPE OF ARTICLE
News — Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
