Ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, "housing costs" emerged as the most important issue for voters ages 18 to 34.
CNBC said on the 19th (local time) that a "2026 Q2 economic survey" of 1,000 registered voters nationwide found this result.
Housing costs were the most important issue for male respondents ages 18 to 49. For all respondents ages 35 to 49, regardless of gender, it was the second-most important issue after grocery prices.
There were some differences by preferred party. Democratic supporters ranked housing costs as the third-most important issue after food expenses and protecting democracy. In contrast, Republican supporters viewed immigration, grocery prices, and the Iran issue as more important.
CNBC analyzed that housing costs have become central to the elections as housing cost expenditure relative to income has surged. According to a June report by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, 49% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on housing costs.
The survey showed the housing cost issue to be a more favorable agenda for Democrats. Among respondents, 38% said Democrats would do better on dwellings issues, while 32% favored Republicans. Among respondents who picked housing expense as one of the two most important issues, 53% saw Democrats as doing better than Republicans.
Also, 60% of those surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump's handling of economic policy, 63% with the handling of the Iran issue, and 68% with the administration's response to inflation and the cost of living.
In response to a question about which party they prefer to control Congress after the midterms, respondents gave Democrats a narrow edge, 49% to 45% for Republicans. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.1%.