Harris Poll: Half Call Grocery Prices Unaffordable

A new poll says voters are feeling the pain at the supermarket.

The Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll found half of respondents say it’s harder to afford their groceries now than it was a year ago, while a third said it’s about the same, compared to just one in five who said it is easier to afford groceries.

The poll suggests grocery affordability could be a key issue for voters ahead of the 2026 midterms, potentially affecting both parties.

“The midterms might hinge on a ‘Cleanup on Aisle 4!’ John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll, said. “It's such a visible signal that life is harder today than it was even last year when we were in an election cycle. Respondents 'don't feel like things are changing fast enough.' This is going to be a significant issue for the president."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration knows they have more work to do.

"President Trump recognizes he inherited the worst inflation crisis in a generation from Joe Biden, and that is why he has tasked his administration with fixing it,” Leavitt said in a statement to Axios. “Grocery prices are coming down, such as egg prices which have plummeted by nearly 80%, and we recognize there is more work to be done.”

Prices for ground beef, eggs, and coffee have all increased by double digits over the past year, according to Labor Department data. Overall, grocery prices have risen by more than 30% over the last five years, the data shows.

The Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll surveyed 2,093 U.S. adults online from Sept. 11 to Sept. 13. The data is accurate to within +/- 2.4 percentage points for the overall population using a 95% confidence level, and +/- 3.0 percentage points for respondents within registered voters.

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