MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona’s economy is thriving in many ways, but that’s not how many voters in the presidential battleground state consider their choices on Nov. 5.
Voters are hearing Democrats and Republicans promise to help the middle class if they win. But voters have heard this before, and in the view of many, nothing has improved.
The disconnect is stark in Arizona, where housing and other costs are soaring.
Here are key takeaways from Associated Press interviews with Arizona voters and economic experts about how Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are discussing the economy ahead of Election Day It talks about.
The job market is booming, but home prices are soaring
Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, Mesa, and Chandler, is experiencing rapid economic growth.
The desert city has been energized by Americans flocking to the region for its eternal sunshine and desert beauty. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a strong job market supported by big tech companies like TSMC and Google that are expanding their footprint in the Phoenix area.
In fact, among the nation’s largest counties, Maricopa had the highest rate of job growth so far this year, according to the Department of Labor.
Jobs are plentiful, but housing prices are soaring. Maricopa home prices have nearly doubled since 2016, according to Zillow.
“Many voters look at home prices and 30-year mortgage rates, compare them to the experiences of their parents and grandparents, and say, “I don’t plan on owning a home,”” says a nonprofit policy and research organization. Director Glenn Farley says. Arizona Common Sense Institute. “Voter dissatisfaction will continue until these conditions are brought back under control.”
Many suspect that Harris and Trump are feeling the pain.
Arizona voters across political lines express frustration that they haven’t heard enough from Harris and Trump about how they plan to address rising prices for housing, groceries and other necessities did.
Harris has promised $25,000 in grants for first-time homebuyers and tax breaks for new parents, but the Trump campaign is targeting immigrants living in the U.S. without permanent legal permission. They argue that mass deportations will free up housing and that increased tariffs will create job opportunities.
But it will be difficult for voters to shake off the pain of a post-pandemic retreat in inflation. Some say they hear too much from Trump about social issues, while Harris says she’s focused too much on some of the former president’s more provocative statements.
“When it comes to helping our citizens, helping people who have to go to work every day to support their families, we don’t hear much about it,” said Abel Ramirez, 32, a struggling Apache Junction resident. ) said. To purchase a single-family home for a growing family.
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Ramirez voted for Trump in 2020 but is considering sitting out this election.
Arizonans, like many Americans, have mixed views about the economy.
Many Americans can look at their personal finances and find reason to feel reassured, even if they react almost despairingly when asked about the health of the country as a whole. A September poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that nearly 6 in 10 people say their country’s economy is doing well, and 7 in 10 say the country is heading in the wrong direction. I answered.
John Akers, 34, is one of those who feels lucky for what the economy has given him, but worries too many family members and friends are being left behind. It is.
He and his wife have seen their fortune improve over the past few years as their high-end audiovisual business flourishes, and the fixer-upper they bought in Phoenix in 2015 has proven to be a wise investment. It was done.
At the same time, some aging relatives are struggling with rising prices, and some close friends are considering leaving Arizona in search of cheaper housing. He wonders if Washington is too focused on high-profile cultural issues.
“No matter what, there will be polarization at the end of this election,” said Akers, who plans to vote for Trump. “Political debates too often pit the middle classes against each other and focus less on important issues like inflation and housing costs.”
There are no easy answers to voters’ concerns.
Maricopa County is a great example of an economic boom that drove the nation’s prosperity during the past two presidential administrations, weathering the housing bust of the Great Recession and pandemic-era shutdowns. However, the boom also destabilized people’s confidence in the real estate market that had been the driving force behind the growth.
More people moved to the region than to urban areas, and interest rates exceeded housing supply, causing mortgage rates to rise to more than 6% and prices to rise in a troubling way. Homeowners felt they could not afford to sell or buy new properties, while renters felt that the promise of middle-class stability was increasingly out of reach.
Take Trevor Cowling, for example. He and his wife purchased a 1,500-square-foot home for $225,000 with a 30-year mortgage rate locked in at 3.1%.
The Cowlings had one child when they moved in, but twins joined the family earlier this year.
The Cowlings would like to upgrade to a larger home, but with interest rates still above 6%, that is unlikely to happen in the near future.
Ms Cowling, 28, said if she tried to buy a house now, her monthly mortgage would be “more expensive than what I’m making”.
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Bork reported from Washington.
