76 Percent of Coloradans Worry About Affordability in New Pulse Poll

76% of Coloradans are worried about being able to afford to live in the state in the future. That figure jumped from 70% just a year ago.

It’s not just a blip. It’s a trend line that’s pointing straight down into the valley floor.

The Colorado Health Foundation released its latest Pulse Poll on Thursday, and the numbers confirm what anyone who’s tried to buy a house or pay a medical bill lately has already known: the cost of living isn’t just high. It’s becoming a barrier to entry. More than 80% of respondents rated the cost of living, housing affordability, and healthcare affordability as either extremely or very serious challenges.

Let’s do the math on that dissatisfaction.

72% of people are somewhat or very dissatisfied with how the state government is responding to these economic concerns. Another 68% are unhappy with how taxpayer dollars are spent. Transparency? 63% dissatisfaction. Health and well-being support? 57% unhappy.

The frustration is geographic, too. At least 70% of people in every region of the state rated these affordability issues as serious. There’s no safe harbor. If you’re in the mountains, the plains, or the urban cores, the math hits you the same way.

Lori Weigel, founder of New Bridge Strategy, put it plainly in her reporting. “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.”

Weigel was part of the bipartisan polling team that conducted the survey. The other half was Lucia Del Puppo, senior vice president at FM3. Del Puppo noted that this local frustration mirrors a national trend reaching a “fever pitch.”

The poll itself is solid. Conducted in March and April, it surveyed 2,240 adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2%. It’s not a snapshot; it’s a sustained look at a population that is losing patience.

Interestingly, government and political issues remain the top concern for 28% of respondents, though that’s down slightly from 32% in 2025. But don’t mistake that drop for relief. The reason people are worried about government is shifting. Of those who cited government as their top concern, 31% were critical of the administration of President Donald Trump, while 15% were critical of other factors. The political blame game is ongoing, but the economic pain is the constant.

For context, this isn’t just about groceries. The poll highlights housing and healthcare as primary drivers of that 80% serious challenge rating. When you combine that with the fact that three out of four people are anxious about staying in Colorado, the implication for local infrastructure and housing projects is clear. We aren’t just building houses; we’re trying to keep the workforce from leaving.

The data doesn’t lie. The political response is lagging. And the cost of inaction is measured in empty neighborhoods and strained budgets.

If you’re a local taxpayer, this poll tells you exactly where your frustration is coming from and why your representatives might be struggling to fix it. The problem isn’t just that things are expensive. It’s that the people in charge aren’t seen as fixing the root causes. And until that changes, that 76% anxiety rate isn’t going anywhere.