Respect Poverty

Cost of living top concern among seniors this election: survey

Rising prices are going to influence who people cast their ballot for president this November.

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech | Jul. 22, 2024

FILE - Fruits are pictured in a discounter in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Europeans again saw some relief as inflation dropped to 2.4% in November, the lowest in more than two years, as plummeting energy costs have eased a cost-of-living crisis but higher interest rates squeeze the economy's ability to grow.(AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
FILE – Fruits are pictured in a discounter in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023. Europeans again saw some relief as inflation dropped to 2.4% in November, the lowest in more than two years, as plummeting energy costs have eased a cost-of-living crisis but higher interest rates squeeze the economy’s ability to grow.(AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

Story at a glance

  • A survey from Retirementliving.com found that seniors are most concerned about the cost of living this presidential election.  
  • This is regardless of party affiliation, with both Democratic and Republican-leaning voters saying cost of living is a top concern.  
  • Crime, immigration, abortion access and climate change are other top concerns among seniors, the survey found.  

Older Americans will be thinking about the country’s high cost of housing, food, and energy when they head to the polls this November.  

Seniors regardless of political party affiliation are the most concerned about just how expensive life has become in the U.S., according to a new survey from Retirementliving.com.  

More than 19 percent of seniors named cost of living as their biggest concern and 57 percent said it was one of their top three concerns ahead of the presidential election, according to the survey.  

Inflation and crime were two other major concerns among seniors, the 1,039-person survey found.  

While seniors with political loyalties on both sides of the aisle said cost of living is a major concern for them this election, other top concerns varied by party affiliation.  

The second and third biggest concerns for Republican-identifying seniors are immigration and crime while Democratic-identifying seniors are worried about abortion access and climate change, according to the survey.  

Identifying major issues among seniors can possibly predict how older Americans are likely to vote during this presidential election.  

The survey found that Americans 60 and older are more likely to vote based on issues than by candidate or party affiliation.  

About 44 percent of seniors surveyed said they would vote based on issues, compared to 39 percent who said they would vote by candidate and about 13 percent by party affiliation, according to the survey.  

Retirementliving.com surveyed 1,039 Americans 45 and older about their voting plans in April. Out of those surveyed, 576 identified as 60 years old and older.  

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