Survey: Homeowners say homeownership costs will influence their midterm vote

When asked how a candidate’s platform to lower homeownership costs would affect their vote, 77% said it would factor in. That includes 21% who call it a top factor and 56% who call it one of several. Only 23% said it wouldn’t affect their vote.

A bar graph showing if a candidate's platform addressed lowering costs and if it would impact the vote for a candidate. — Hometap

Taxes Lead, and Utilities Are the Sleeper Issue

With 26 ballot initiatives related to tax rates being proposed in 13 states this midterm election, it’s no surprise that when asked to pick the one homeowner-related issue that matters most this November, homeowners ranked taxes and tax policy first (35%), followed by utility costs (25%), housing supply and affordability (17%), and insurance (10%).

A bar graph showing the various homeowner-related issues most important to respondents during midterm elections. — Hometap

The survey found that 3 in 4 homeowners (75%) say their property tax bill rose in the past two years. Among those whose bill went up, 1 in 3 (33%) saw an increase of 7% or more.

An infographic showing if the property tax bill increased in the past two years. — Hometap

A bar graph showing if homeowners agreed that the property tax bill increased by an approximate amount. — Hometap

Despite coming in second behind taxes as a top issue in this election, utility costs rose the most for homeowners over the past 12 months (44%) and caused the most stress (31%).

A bar graph showing various homeowner-related cost have increased the most for the respondents and caused the most stress. — Hometap

What Motivates Homeowners to Vote

About 41% of survey participants say being a homeowner makes them more likely to vote in the midterms this year.

A donut chart showing how does a homeowner status impact the likelihood of voting for the 2026 midterm elections. — Hometap

Among those motivated voters, nearly half (49%) say they want accountability from whoever’s in office. Another 28% feel more connected to their community and local decisions, and about 22% say homeownership costs outweigh other issues right now.

An infographic showing the best descriptions why respondents are more likely to vote. — Hometap

Among those who aren’t more likely to vote, 27% say they don’t think their vote would change their home-related costs.

A donut chart showing the best description why respondents will not more likely to vote. — Hometap

Stress Is Raising the Stakes

The pressure of owning a home is part of what’s pulling homeowners into the conversation. Nearly two-thirds of homeowners (63%) say owning a home causes them at least moderate financial stress, up from 55% when survey respondents were asked the same question in June 2025.

Stressed homeowners are also more likely to say owning a home makes them want to vote. Among those at least moderately stressed, 48% say so, compared with 28% of less-stressed homeowners.

An infographic showing how does the stress level as a homeowner impact the likelihood of voting for the 2026 midterm elections. — Hometap

One of the more significant findings to come out of the survey is the fact that wanting relief from home-related costs and expecting it are clearly two different things. Homeowners want costs addressed, but don’t see it as a guarantee. Just 26% are confident the right candidate could lower their homeownership costs. Another 35% are neutral, and 40% lack confidence.

An infographic showing how confident are the respondents for the right candidate in this year's midterm elections could lower homeownership costs if elected. — Hometap

Many feel unheard and resigned: 7 in 10 homeowners (71%) expect costs to keep rising no matter who wins, and 70% say politicians don’t understand homeowners.

An infographic showing how much respondents agree or disagree to rising homeownership costs and not believing politicians do not understand homeowners are dealing with. — Hometap

When asked what they’d like to see from a candidate, homeowners answered in their own words. Taxes came up most often (42%), followed by cost of living and prices (26%), and utilities and energy (about 14%).

Their answers were direct:

“Lowering cost of living. We all work hard for our money to live day by day and stress over everything.”
“Homeowners insurance doesn’t go up.”
“Stop data centers that increase my utility bills.”

It’s worth reiterating that despite 77% of homeowners saying a candidate’s plan to lower homeownership costs would factor into their vote, only 26% are confident the right candidate could actually deliver. Homeowners are heading into the midterms under real financial pressure, they want their costs on the ballot, and they’re watching to see who’s listening.

Methodology: The survey was conducted by AYTM on behalf of Hometap from Oct. 4-6, 2026, among 1,000 U.S. homeowners representing a mix of ages, demographics, and regions. Respondents were recruited through AYTM’s online panel and screened to confirm current homeownership. The 20-question survey was administered online with randomized multiple-choice options and “not applicable” or “other” responses available for all questions. State of residence was captured to support regional views. The results reflect a 95% confidence level with a ±3% margin of error.

Generations were grouped by the following age ranges: Millennials age 25-44, Generation X age 45-64, and Baby Boomers age 65-79.

This story was produced by Hometap and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.