(The Center Square) – Fifty-one percent of Arizonans said the state is going in the wrong direction, according to a new poll from Noble Predictive Insights.
Fifty-six percent of Democratic responders said they think Arizona is heading in the right direction, whereas 52% of Republicans and 55% of independents said the state is going the wrong way.
Mike Noble, NPI’s president, told The Center Square that one of the main reasons Arizonans are not optimistic is the state’s cost of living.
Arizona previously was known for its low cost of living, but over the last four years, it has “become very unaffordable,” Noble said.
According to an August Arizona State University report, Arizona’s cost of living now exceeds costs in Nevada, Texas and New Mexico. The report further stated that in 2023, the cost of living in the state exceeded the national average.
The average cost of buying a home in Arizona has increased since COVID. According to Zillow, the average house in Arizona in August 2020 cost $297,908.
By August 2025, that price had risen to $422,446, representing a 42% increase.
Furthermore, the NPI president said survey respondents who have lived in Arizona for more than five years expressed greater concerns about cost-of-living issues in the state compared to those who have recently moved to the state.
Compared to four years ago, 56% of Arizonans liked the direction the state was headed, NPI data showed.
As for Arizonans’ optimism for the future of America, 35% of survey responders said America is better off than it was four years ago. Republicans had the highest sentiment at 65%, while Democrats and independents were on the opposite side. Twelve percent of Democrats said America was better off four years ago, and 27% of independents also said the same thing.
“Arizonans are signaling that they want to see tangible progress – whether it’s cost of living, housing, water, or the ability of leaders to work past gridlock, voters are looking for reasons to feel the state and the country are on a better path. Right now, they just don’t see it,” Noble explained.
Democrats, Republicans and independents, meanwhile, cited different issues as their top concern facing Arizona. For Republicans, it was immigration at 62%. Democrats said inflation was the main issue at 45%, and independents noted affordable housing as their top issue at 54%.
Moreover, all the groups, in different orders, listed affordable housing, inflation, immigration and health care as the top four issues currently facing Arizona.
Noble said the data shows that “unaffiliated voters often prioritize their own interests, leading rather than merely balancing the positions of the parties.”
According to Noble, Democrats are “pretty big on going after” President Donald Trump, but he suggested they need to pay attention more to “economic pain points.”
He said they should talk more about affordable housing, inflation and the economy.
This poll, which was released Monday, was conducted with 948 registered voters from Aug. 11 to Aug. 18. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.18%.
