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Democrats hold an 11-point advantage over Republicans among registered voters who say which party would do a better job handling the cost of living, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted September 24–28, 2026. But that issue-specific edge is not broad confidence: just 18% of adults said either party could solve important problems extremely or very well, and many respondents chose neither party on individual issues.
Which party is better on the cost of living?
Among registered voters, 38% said Democrats would do a better job handling the cost of living, compared with 27% who chose Republicans. The question asked which party respondents trusted to do a better job on listed issues; it measured perceptions, not which party would actually lower prices. The Associated Press reported the result from the September AP-NORC survey (Associated Press report, October 3, 2026).
The denominator matters. In the poll’s all-adult topline, 35% chose Democrats, 24% Republicans and 31% neither on cost of living. Those figures should not be substituted for the registered-voter comparison. For adults, the issue had been approximately even in February 2026, with about three in ten choosing each party; that earlier comparison involved a separate survey wave.
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| Issue, all adults | Democrats | Republicans | Neither |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 35% | 24% | 31% |
| Economy | 34% | 27% | 28% |
| Health care | 41% | 22% | 27% |
Source: AP-NORC September 2026 poll topline. Percentages are all-adult responses, not registered-voter results. The substantial “neither” shares show why a party lead should not be read as a vote of confidence from everyone else.
Does the cost-of-living lead extend to other issues?
AP-NORC’s summary says Democrats were trusted more on health care, transgender issues, foreign policy, the economy and cost of living. Respondents were split on immigration and artificial intelligence. The all-adult figures above show the margins on three economic and household issues; they do not establish broad trust across every policy area.
Can either party solve the country’s problems?
Confidence was low for both parties. Only 18% of adults said the description “can solve important problems” fit Democrats extremely or very well, and the same 18% said it fit Republicans that strongly. A party can have an advantage on a specific issue while voters remain doubtful about its ability to address the country’s problems overall.
Respondents also expressed limited confidence that either party was focused on helping people like them: 22% said that described Democrats extremely or very well, compared with 17% for Republicans. By contrast, 58% said Republicans were extremely or very well focused on helping rich and powerful people, versus 30% who said that of Democrats. These are perceptions recorded in the poll, not measurements of what either party actually does.
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Among registered voters, 55% called the Republican Party too extreme and 48% said the same of the Democratic Party. Among Democratic voters, 46% described their own party as too moderate. The figures reflect distinct views of the parties and can coexist with Democrats’ cost-of-living lead.
On President Donald Trump’s handling of cost of living, 69% said it had gone worse than expected, 7% better than expected and 23% about as expected. In a separate question, 65% of adults attributed higher-than-usual prices more to Trump’s policies, while 33% attributed them more to factors outside his control. These answers report respondents’ judgments; they do not establish what caused price increases.
How the poll was conducted—and what it can show
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research surveyed 2,140 U.S. adults, including 1,766 registered voters, from September 24 through 28, 2026, using NORC’s AmeriSpeak probability-based panel. Interviews were conducted online and by telephone in English and Spanish: 2,093 completed online and 47 by telephone. The reported margin of sampling error is ±2.9 percentage points for adults and ±3.1 points for registered voters.
Those margins describe sampling uncertainty, not every possible source of error. The methodology reports a weighted cumulative response rate of 4.4%, a weighted household panel recruitment rate of 17.0% and a survey completion rate of 25.8%. It says the panel sample frame covers approximately 97% of the U.S. household population, with some address types excluded, and cautions that subgroup margins may be higher. See the AP-NORC survey methodology.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe findings are a snapshot of stated views during the field dates. They do not show why attitudes changed, prove that either party is more effective at addressing costs, or predict the November 3 midterm result.
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What voters said
Aaron Siever, a former police officer who guides Civil War battlefield tours, told AP: “There’s so much turmoil,” and, “There’s big problems and neither side seems able to fix them.” Milwaukee real estate broker Meagan Ludwig offered a different view of what Democrats should do: “We need to seize the opportunity to boldly enact policies that will improve the lives of Americans,” and, “I’m tired of us pursuing incremental change.” Their statements are individual opinions, not poll results.
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