In Midterm Toss-Up States of Ohio, Iowa, Texas, and Maine, Housing Affordability Is Top of Mind

As the country heads into the final days before the 2026 midterm elections, housing affordability weighs heavily on many voters’ minds.A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 66% of Americans are “very concerned” about housing costs. And this past July, CNBC’s All-America Economic Survey found that housing affordability is the top concern for Gen Z voters and men aged 18 to 44. That’s likely because Americans are spending more money—and more of their incomes—on housing than they have in recent memory. A 2024 study from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies found that nearly half of all Americans—49%—spend more than the recommended 30% of their income on housing. Yet lawmakers and voters remain divided on how to ease the economic burden so many Americans now face. Is it an issue of building more housing or backing more programs to subsidize rents and mortgages? Will raising wages solve the problem, or will creating more tenant protections offer relief? Or is the answer some combination of all of the above?That's why, ahead of the 2026 midterms, Realtor.com® examined the housing issues animating voters in the four states that Decision Desk HQ has deemed Senate ra...