DENVER – From its iconic signage welcoming residents and guests to ‘Colorful Colorado,’ residents’ growing concerns about housing affordability and rising costs of living across the state are writing an alarmingly less attractive state brand highlighting a ‘Costly Colorado.’
Nearly nine out of 10 respondents (89%) to this year’s Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll, rated the issue of housing affordability as an extreme or very serious problem. Concerns about housing affordability and the cost of living are higher than at any other time in the five-year history of the poll.
A bipartisan team of researchers collected responses from 2,404 Coloradans between May 20 and June 24, 2024, which revealed these issues were, once again, at the top of the list of concerns for most Coloradans. In addition, the persistent challenges tied to housing and daily living expenses are driving their feelings and choices on tough issues like healthcare coverage, and their ability to create financial stability now and for the future.
COLORADANS’ TOP CONCERNS IN 2024 PULSE POLL
Since 2020, concerns about the cost of housing as an extreme or very serious problem have risen from 67% to 89% of the respondents, with a clear 60% majority now saying it is an extremely serious problem, up from 51% in 2023 and just 37% in 2020.
Related, the overall cost of living was rated an extremely serious or very serious problem by 86% of those surveyed, up a percent from a year prior. Homelessness ranked third in the problems facing the state with 79% saying it is an extremely or very serious concern, while the cost of healthcare came in fourth at 68%.
“This year’s Pulse Poll results don’t just show that Coloradans perceive housing issues as a problem – they see them as a crisis,” said Dave Metz, Democratic pollster for Pulse and president of FM3 Research. “Nearly nine in 10 rate the cost of housing as a ‘very serious’ problem – more than say the same for any other issue, even the cost of living overall.”
Consistent with the results from prior years, in an open-ended question asking for the most important issues facing the state, respondents also called out the cost of living and housing affordability as the top two issues. Those feelings were corroborated when they were asked to rate the seriousness of several potential problems facing the state. Concerns about the cost of housing increased 6% in the last year with a 9% increase in people saying it is an "extremely serious" problem. All four of the top cited issues continue to relate to housing and the increasing costs of living. Since the earliest years of the pandemic, the percentage of people concerned about these issues dramatically increased and those concerns have continued to increase and intensify.
Calling Colorado home comes into question
Even among respondents who say they are “living comfortably” financially, concerns about the cost of housing persist. Many Coloradans continue to doubt their ability to own homes and their children’s ability to afford living in Colorado in the long term. In addition, respondents reported having to make hard choices and sacrifices about everyday needs, including healthcare, food and paying their other bills.
Of those who said they are living comfortably, a surprising 83% said they are concerned about the cost of housing, with about half (49%) saying it’s a serious problem in the state. Thirty-four percent of all respondents are worried that they might lose their home, have to downgrade their home or move in the coming year because they can’t afford the monthly rent or mortgage. For those who report they are really struggling financially, that number spikes to 80%, and for renters, it is 54%.
Among the concerning results of the Pulse Poll over the past few years are respondents questioning whether Colorado can remain home for them or for future generations of their families.
“Looking forward, Coloradans are worried that things will get worse before they get better – both for themselves and their children,” added Metz.
- 90% of renters aspire to own a home, but a majority do not think it’s likely they will ever be able to purchase a home in Colorado.
- 71% of people are worried they will not be able to afford to live in Colorado in the future, and that number spikes to 90% for current renters, 87% for people ages 18-29, 85% for people living on low incomes, and African American respondents.
- 90% of Coloradans worry about whether their children will be able to afford to live in Colorado in the future.
When it comes to paying rent and mortgage costs, many Coloradans are making hard choices that may have negative impacts on their overall health and well-being.
- 34% said they are working multiple jobs or more than they want to.
- Among renters, 32% have avoided asking their landlord to address problems because they feared having their rent increase or being evicted.
- Notably, the number of people saying they rent from a large management company, versus an individual or family member, increased by 11% since 2023 to 55% in 2024.
- 30% of respondents have cut back or gone without other needs, like food or health care.
- 27% have fallen behind on other bills or payments.
"In August 2020, the first year of our Pulse Poll, at a time when the economy had been jarringly disrupted, Coloradans were evenly divided over whether they were faring better or worse financially,” said Lori Weigel, Republican pollster for Pulse and principal of New Bridge Strategy. “But today, they are more likely to say they are worse off financially by a 14-point margin. Almost all of that feeling is attributable to the exploding concerns about the cost of living - be that housing, health coverage, or food. These concerns about spiraling costs have real implications for our state as seven-in-10 people worry that they won't be able to afford to live in Colorado in the future."
Healthcare access, costs and changes in the Medicaid enrollment process
The ‘costly Colorado’ theme carried into respondents’ experiences with healthcare coverage and accessing health services.
A quarter of uninsured Coloradans report that they were previously covered by Medicaid, highlighting how post-pandemic changes to the Medicaid enrollment process and increasing insurance premiums are preventing people from obtaining health insurance. Nearly three in four uninsured Coloradans say that the cost of health insurance is keeping them from being covered. At the same time, 34% of all respondents said they are worried that they or someone in their household will be without health insurance in the next year. For those that are ‘really struggling’ financially, that worry doubles to 70%, and it is higher for people living on low incomes (57%) and for Latinos (47%).
Among younger respondents, ages 18-29, as well as those 50-64 who don’t yet qualify for Medicare, 41% are worried they will be without health insurance in the coming year.
For those in need of medical or dental care, 43% of the respondents postponed that care in the past year due to cost, a 5% increase from 2023. A higher percentage of those without insurance or on Medicaid, people living on low incomes, and people 18-49 are postponing medical and dental care.
"A significant proportion of Coloradans have consistently expressed worry about health insurance and told us cost is a barrier to coverage,” added Lori Weigel. “Today, those concerns have been compounded by worries about the cost of housing specifically, and the overall climbing cost of living."
Economic conditions forcing tough decisions, including skipping meals:
While there was a 4% increase (21% in 2023 to 25% in 2024) in respondents saying they are better off financially, including one-third of those between the age of 18-29, the percentage of respondents saying they are “worse off financially” than a year ago remained concerningly stable at 39%.
About 40% of Coloradans say they are “just getting by financially,” including more than one in 10 describing themselves as “really struggling.” One-third (33%) of respondents said they are worried they might not be able to afford enough food to feed themselves or their families over the next year, and 78% of those who are worried about affording enough food reported they have already been skipping meals over the past year due to financial strain.
Of those skipping meals, the challenge is felt more acutely among those enrolled in Medicaid or without health insurance, people living on low incomes, renters, and people in Pueblo County. Within these groups, the percent of people who skipped meals increased by 10% or more from 2023.
Finding Solutions - What Policymakers Can Do To Help
Asked about the most important thing that the Colorado State government can do to make life better for respondents and the people they care about, respondents want the State to act on the biggest challenges being faced right now, including affordable housing and lower rents, tax relief and issues like TABOR, rising costs of living, including inflation, gas and food costs.
- 15%, More affordable housing, lower rent, etc.
- 13%, Address taxes, lower taxes, tax issues, fix TABOR, etc.
- 12%, Lower the cost of living, inflation, gas prices, food costs, etc.
“With housing affordability once again at the top of Coloradans’ concerns in 2024, we’re clearly hearing that people are not yet feeling relief from all the state and local policy changes that have sought to address this critical issue in our state,” said Kyle Rojas Legleiter, Senior Director of Policy at the Colorado Health Foundation. “The increase of concern over the years is stark, and so too are the impacts of housing costs on Coloradans’ health and well-being. The percentage of people who are extremely or seriously concerned about housing and cost of living in 2020 was more than 20% less than where we stand now."
Looking a little further down the road, respondents were split across three potential options to create a long-term impact on the rising housing costs across the state.
Turning to respondents’ personal financial situation and the actions they believe could most provide assistance and relief, an overwhelming majority, 73%, said that “increasing the availability of higher-paying jobs in their community” would be helpful (including 46% who said it would be very helpful).
- 57% said “increasing access to affordable professional education and job training” would be helpful.
- 53% said “providing support to help people manage debt and improve their credit” would be helpful.
- 43% said “increasing the availability and affordability of childcare” would be helpful.
- This number increases to 70% for respondents with children ages 0-5 and 57% for respondents with children ages 6-12.
- 41% said “reducing discrimination and bias in hiring” would be helpful.
2024 Pulse Poll data will be released in phases.
- Economic Concerns and Their Impact on Our Financial, Mental and Physical Well-Being
(Presented in English with live interpretation in Spanish)
Data available online at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17
Briefing at 10 a.m. MT on Thursday, July 18 | Register
An overarching level of economic concerns and uncertainty driven by persistently high living expenses and over-the-top housing costs are the top two concerns for most Coloradans in 2024. This year’s Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll results show how these pressures are impacting Coloradans’ day-to-day lives, including how the rising cost of living and health care costs are impacting lives and forcing people to make difficult decisions. This first briefing will explore Coloradans’ most pressing concerns in 2024.
- Beyond the Numbers: Understanding Coloradans’ Top Concerns and How They Connect to Our Sense of Belonging
(Presented in English with live interpretation in Spanish)
Regionally-specific data will also be available and provided upon request
Data available online at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, August 13
Briefing at 10 a.m. MT on Wednesday, August 14 | Register
Coloradans’ concerns extend beyond housing and the economy—the 2024 Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll reveals that our other top concerns include health care and mental health support, drug use, homelessness, and crime, among other topics. In this briefing, we’ll dive deep into critical themes that arose in Pulse: The Colorado Health Foundation poll, including how these issues impact people’s sense of belonging within our communities. The analysis will delve into similarities and differences across specific demographics including race or ethnicity, income level, geography, age, partisan affiliation and more.
- Deep Dive on Responses from Hispanic and Latino People in Colorado
(Presented in Spanish and English. Simultaneous interpretation will be available)
Data available online at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3
Briefing at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 9 | Register
In a state where Hispanic and Latino people comprise 22% of the population, it is crucial to understand their experiences and concerns. This session will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by providing valuable insights into the recent Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll data on the perspectives of Hispanic and Latino Coloradans, including the unique challenges, issues and aspirations of this significant and diverse demographic group. Simultaneous interpretation will be available, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are heard and valued.
Interviews are available with research experts, Colorado Health Foundation leaders, local community organizations and impacted Coloradans.
About Pulse Poll 2024
The 2024 Pulse Poll was conducted by telephone and online from May 20 to June 24, 2024 among a random representative sample of 2,404 adults age 18 and older living in Colorado. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/-2.9% at the 95% confidence interval. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error is higher.
CHF is releasing its annual Pulse Poll findings in three phases. The second phase results will be released in August with a deep-dive analysis of other key findings and in September with a deep-dive on the perspectives of Hispanic and Latino respondents.
About Pulse
At The Colorado Health Foundation, we believe in listening first. Each year, we ensure Coloradans’ voices are heard on crucial issues like affordable housing, health care and mental well-being. By gathering data rooted in Coloradans’ experiences and perspectives, Pulse provides valuable insights to inform policy decisions that will have a lasting impact on the well-being of Colorado's communities for years to come. For more information, visit www.copulsepoll.org.
About The Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Health Foundation is a statewide philanthropic organization that champions the overall health and well-being of every Coloradan by advocating for and investing in solutions and policies that drive health equity and racial justice. Every day, the Foundation collaborates with organizations and communities across the state to break down the many systemic inequities that stand in the way of health. Learn more at www.coloradohealth.org.