A new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll reveals that financial pressure on New Jersey residents is not necessarily spreading to more people, but rather intensifying significantly for those already feeling the pinch.
According to the survey released Wednesday, about three-quarters of New Jerseyans find it difficult to afford education costs and childcare expenses, while roughly two-thirds struggle with gasoline, transportation, and housing. Furthermore, about 6 in 10 report ongoing difficulties with healthcare, utility bills, and groceries.
While overall percentages across most tracked categories have held relatively steady since March, the severity of the burden has shifted dramatically upward. The share of residents classifying these costs as “very difficult” rather than “somewhat difficult” jumped by 10 percentage points for both education (reaching 45%) and gasoline and transportation (34%). Grocery costs saw a 6-point increase in the “very difficult” category, healthcare rose 5 points, and housing increased by 4 points.
“What we are seeing is less about how many New Jerseyans are struggling and more about how intense the struggle is,” Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick said. “In every single category we track, fewer residents call these costs ‘somewhat difficult’ and more call them ‘very difficult.’ Difficulty may be spreading to some extent, but more than that, it is deepening.”
This personal financial strain mirrors grim public sentiment regarding the broader economy. Eight in 10 New Jersey residents rate the national economy negatively, with more than half (51%) labeling it “poor” and 29% calling it “only fair.”
Views on the state economy are nearly as bleak, with more than three-quarters of residents expressing a negative view. While overall negativity increased only slightly to 77%, the proportion of residents rating the New Jersey economy as outright “poor” climbed 6 points to 35%.
Unlike national economic views—which remain deeply polarized along party lines, with Democrats and independents reporting far higher pessimism than Republicans—evaluations of the state economy cross party boundaries uniformly. Roughly three-quarters or more across all major demographics, including gender, race, age, and income, hold a negative view of both state and national economic conditions.
Demographic divides
The poll highlights stark disparities across different communities in the Garden State:
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Race and Ethnicity: Black and Hispanic residents report significantly higher levels of financial hardship across all categories compared to white residents. For instance, 85% of Hispanic respondents and 75% of Black respondents report difficulty affording groceries, compared to 53% of white respondents.
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Income: Financial stress maps directly to household earnings. Those earning $50,000 or less report the highest rates of difficulty across every category, including over 80% struggling with housing, utilities, and groceries.
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Age: While financial difficulty generally decreases with age—with residents 65 and older reporting the least trouble with housing, utilities, and food—older residents are more likely to report difficulty with childcare costs when applicable.
The statewide survey of 1,004 adults was conducted via the probability-based Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS Garden State Panel between Sept. 24 and Sept. 27, 2026. The full sample carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
