Voters Link Warming to Threat to American Dream

A Data for Progress survey finds most voters expect rising temperatures to erode their ability to achieve or maintain the American Dream over the next two decades.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Severe Weather

Wide view of a sun-baked residential street lined with modest single-story houses and dry lawns under a hazy sky, with heat shimmer rising off the asphalt. — Most U.S. voters expect rising temperatures to erode their ability to achieve or maintain the American Dream, according to a Data for Progress survey of 1,167 likely voters. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think climate change is raising your household's living costs?

A Data for Progress poll of 1,167 likely voters, conducted in spring 2026, found 58 percent believe warming temperatures will impede their ability to achieve or maintain the American Dream over the coming two decades. Cost of living remains the dominant concern about immediate threats to the American Dream.

Why it matters

The findings link climate change to household finances, a concern that already shapes how voters weigh policy ahead of the midterm elections. An MIT study separately estimates that U.S. families pay between $400 and $900 annually due to climate-related effects.

The Data for Progress survey of 1,167 likely voters found 58 percent expect warming to impede the American Dream, versus 2 percent who name climate change as the central threat today. The estimate of $400 to $900 in annual family costs is drawn from an MIT study, and the survey does not assess how those costs vary by county.

The players

Data for Progress

A progressive polling and research organization that conducted the survey of 1,167 likely voters.

MIT

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, whose study estimated the annual climate-related costs paid by U.S. families.

The details

Respondents most frequently chose 'a critical step to protect our environment' to describe climate policies, while 6 percent called such policy an expensive burden on working people. Climate-related effects cited include higher utility bills and insurance costs, and some hard-hit counties see expenses above $1,000 per year.

Spring 2026: Data for Progress conducts the survey of likely voters.
Earlier in 2026: MIT study on climate-related family costs is released.
Coming two decades: Survey respondents expect warming to affect their ability to achieve the American Dream.
Next 20 years: Climate change is projected to increase living expenses.

Big Picture

The voter findings build on the MIT study's estimate of $400 to $900 in annual climate-related costs per U.S. family. Together they show that household expense, rather than distant environmental risk, is what links warming to voters' economic outlook.

Households facing $400 to $900 in yearly climate-related costs may see those expenses appear in utility bills and insurance premiums. Readers in hard-hit counties, where expenses can exceed $1,000 per year, face the largest pressure on their household budgets.

The takeaway

Most voters now connect warming with household finances, which makes climate costs a practical concern rather than a distant one. Tracking utility bills and insurance premiums can show how these effects reach your own budget.