This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at coloradosun.com.
Coloradans are increasingly worried about affordability and being able to continue living in the state — and they say elected leaders aren’t doing enough to help, according to a new poll released Thursday by the Colorado Health Foundation.
More than 80% of Coloradans say the cost of living, the affordability of housing and the affordability of healthcare are either extremely or very serious challenges facing the state. These concerns ranked highly across the state; at least 70% of people in each geographic region rated the affordability issues as extremely or very serious challenges in their communities.
As a result, 76% — three out of every four Coloradans — say they are very or somewhat worried about being able to afford to live in Colorado in the future. That is up from 70% just a year ago.
Meanwhile, Coloradans are unhappy with how the state government is addressing these concerns.
In the poll, 72% said they are somewhat or very dissatisfied with how the government is responding to the economic concerns of Coloradans. And the frustration didn’t end there — 68% said they are somewhat or very dissatisfied with the government’s work to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and effectively, 63% expressed dissatisfaction with transparency to the public and 57% expressed dissatisfaction with how the government has supported the health and well-being of Coloradans.
“People are very concerned about the cost of living, they’re worried about being able to stay in the state and there’s a sense that those in charge are perhaps not doing enough to address those concerns,” said Lori Weigel, the founder of the research firm New Bridge Strategy and one half of the bipartisan polling team that conducted the survey.
Added Lucia Del Puppo, a senior vice president with the firm FM3 and the other half of the polling team: “In broader terms too, we are seeing at a national level that there is this dissatisfaction that is reaching a fever pitch.”
The Colorado Health Foundation has conducted the poll, called the Pulse Poll, every year since 2020. This year’s version was conducted in March and April and surveyed 2,240 adults. It has an estimated margin of error of plus or minus 3.2%.
When asked what their top concern is for Colorado, respondents said government and political issues ranked highest, with 28% of people listing it. That is lower than in 2025, when 32% of people listed it as the top concern.
Exactly why people are concerned about government and politics, though, is divided — 31% who listed it as their top concern were critical of the administration of President Donald Trump, while 15% were critical of the administration of Gov. Jared Polis. Others listed voting rights, the budget, and governance concerns as driving their choice.
Affordability ranked second on people’s list of top concerns with 25% listing it No. 1. Only a quarter of Coloradans surveyed said they are living comfortably and increasing their savings, compared with 38% who said they are just getting by or really struggling. As to whether they are doing better or worse than last year, 37% said they are doing somewhat or much worse, compared with 24% who said they are doing somewhat or much better.
Nearly three-quarters of Coloradans say they have cut back spending on recreation or entertainment. Nearly half of people say they have postponed needed medical or dental care.
These numbers are generally worse for communities of color. For instance, half of Black Coloradans expressed concern about not being able to afford enough food for themselves and their families in the coming year. Nearly half of Latino Coloradans are worried they may lose their home in the next year because they cannot afford their rent or mortgage.
See the full results of the poll at www.copulsepoll.org.
