AP-KFF Poll: Trump’s Rural Support Slips as Grocery, Gas and Healthcare Costs Rise/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ About half of rural registered voters say the U.S. economy has worsened since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a new AP-KFF survey. Only about 4 in 10 approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, but his overall rural approval remains higher than his national rating.
The results suggest Republicans face a greater risk of supporters staying home than switching to Democratic candidates in the midterms.
Quick Look
- About half of rural voters say the national economy has worsened under Trump.
- Roughly 4 in 10 approve of Trump’s economic performance.
- Trump’s overall approval among rural voters stands at 48%.
- About three-quarters rate their community’s cost of living as “only fair” or “poor.”
- Groceries, gasoline and healthcare are the leading economic concerns.
- Only 17% say Trump administration healthcare policies positively affected their costs.
- About 41% report no healthcare-cost impact, while another 41% report a negative impact.
- Only 45% of rural Republicans say Trump improved their local economy.
- Nine in 10 rural voters want candidates to discuss healthcare costs.
- Rural voters still generally trust their own political party on major issues.
- Democrats may benefit more from dissatisfied Republicans staying home than changing parties.
- The poll surveyed 2,241 rural registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Deep Look
Rural Voters See a Weaker Economy
WASHINGTON — About half of rural registered voters believe the U.S. economy has deteriorated since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to a new survey from The Associated Press and KFF.
The findings reveal widespread frustration over groceries, gasoline, healthcare and other living expenses among voters who have been central to Republican electoral victories.
More than 2,000 registered voters in rural communities participated in the survey during a two-week period beginning in mid-August.
Rural voters are more likely than voters overall to worry about whether they can continue affording food and fuel. At the same time, they remain more supportive of Trump than the broader American public.
The results indicate that many rural voters have not abandoned Trump politically, but they also do not believe he has delivered the dramatic economic improvement promised during his campaign.
Trump Receives a Mixed Review From Republican Veteran
Ed Westrick, a 59-year-old registered Republican and military veteran living in rural Texas, described Trump’s performance as “mediocre, middle-of-the-road.”
Westrick works as a technical trainer in the electronics industry. His business has increased partly because he works with defense contractors, but higher living expenses remain a significant concern.
“I hear the politicians talk about making groceries more affordable and making healthcare more affordable, but yet none of them are addressing the issues,” Westrick said.
He remains uncertain whether he will vote in November.
That hesitation could be significant for Republicans in Texas and elsewhere because the party may need strong turnout from rural supporters to retain its narrow congressional majorities.
Only 4 in 10 Approve of Trump’s Economic Performance
Only about 4 in 10 rural voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.
A similar share approves of his management of the Iran war, which has become increasingly expensive and contributed to higher oil and gasoline prices.
Rural voters ranked household financial concerns and fraud in government programs above traditional political issues such as abortion and gun policy when asked what they wanted candidates to discuss.
Their concerns reflect the immediate economic pressure created by rising prices rather than the cultural and ideological issues that frequently dominate political campaigns.
Approximately three-quarters of rural voters described the cost of living in their communities as “only fair” or “poor.”
That represents a 25-percentage-point increase from responses to a similar question in a 2017 KFF-Washington Post survey.
Rural communities have experienced lower wages than metropolitan and suburban areas for decades, said Tim Slack, a Louisiana State University sociology professor and co-author of Rural and Small-Town America.
“Many folks are connecting the cost-of-living crisis to many of the Trump administration’s policy choices: the war in Iran, tariffs, trade wars,” he said. “None of those things are going to bring down prices at the pump or the local Walmart.”
Slack said continued increases have been particularly painful because Trump campaigned on quickly reducing prices.
“Trump promised to lower prices on Day 1, and instead the cost of living’s continued to climb. And that’s especially painful in rural America,” Slack said.
He expects some working-class Republicans to respond by not voting in November.
Rural Republicans Remain More Optimistic
Rural Republicans hold a significantly more positive view of the national economy than Democrats and independents living in similar communities.
Approximately 6 in 10 rural Republican voters believe Trump has improved the national economy.
Only about 2 in 10 rural independents and fewer than 1 in 10 rural Democrats agree.
The optimism falls when Republicans are asked about conditions closer to home. Only 45% of rural Republican voters say Trump has improved their local economies.
About one-quarter say their communities have fewer good-paying jobs than five years ago.
The divide suggests that partisan loyalty influences how voters evaluate the national economy, even when many remain dissatisfied with economic conditions where they live.
Michigan Mother Scrutinizes Every Purchase
Brittainy Sosebee, a 37-year-old independent from St. Johns, Michigan, said she was uncertain whether she would vote in the fall election.
Michigan has a closely contested Senate race that could be crucial to Democratic efforts to regain control of the chamber.
Sosebee voted for Trump in 2016, supported Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and did not vote in 2024.
She said she previously had enough extra money for vacations or clothing purchases without worrying. Now, she carefully reviews every expense while shopping for her three children.
The family hunts and relies on venison to avoid purchasing some meat at the grocery store.
“We hunt, so we have a lot of venison and things like that, so we don’t have to buy meat from the grocery store, but it’s still crippling,” she said.
Fresh produce and other basic items have become increasingly difficult for her family to afford.
Healthcare Policies Show Little Perceived Benefit
The survey found that most rural voters do not believe the Trump administration’s healthcare policies have improved their expenses.
Only 17% said those policies had a “positive impact” on their healthcare costs.
Approximately 41% said the policies had “no impact,” while another 41% described their impact as “negative.”
Republican leaders have promoted prescription-drug initiatives and a $50 billion program intended to strengthen rural healthcare.
The results suggest those policies have either not reached many voters or have not produced savings they recognize in their personal finances.
Rural Health Program Is Largely Unknown
Trump’s tax and spending law reduced projected federal Medicaid spending by approximately $900 billion over 10 years.
The law also established the Rural Health Transformation Program and provided billions of dollars for it.
A year after the law’s passage, however, more than 8 in 10 rural voters said they had heard either “a little” or “nothing at all” about the program. About 60% had heard nothing.
The low level of awareness presents a political challenge for Republicans, who have promoted the program as evidence that their law protects rural healthcare.
Maine Voter Points to Hospital Consolidation
Kathleen Hanning, a 71-year-old retired federal employee in Woolwich, Maine, said she had not closely followed the healthcare provisions in Trump’s tax and spending law.
The Democrat stopped voting for Republican Sen. Susan Collins in 2020 because she believes Collins and Trump are “intertwined.”
“She is not independently voting on what’s best for Maine.”
Hanning said the reality in her community does not resemble a transformation of rural healthcare.
Rather than transforming, Hanning said, “hospitals up here in Maine are consolidating.”
She drives approximately one hour to visit a medical specialist. Mothers in her region will also have to travel farther after a hospital in nearby Damariscotta announced plans to close its labor and delivery center.
Healthcare Costs Are a Leading Electoral Concern
Nine in 10 rural voters said it was “extremely” or “very” important for political candidates to address healthcare costs.
More than half described the issue as “extremely important.”
Like the population overall, rural voters ranked healthcare expenses and gasoline prices among their leading economic concerns.
The findings illustrate why healthcare access and affordability may play a prominent role in Senate races in Maine, Michigan and Ohio, all of which have substantial rural populations.
Rural Voters Continue to Trust Their Own Parties
Despite dissatisfaction with the economy and healthcare, most rural voters still favor their own party when asked which side they trust to manage those issues.
That pattern suggests Democrats are unlikely to win large numbers of rural Republican voters.
Instead, Democratic candidates may benefit if frustrated Republicans decide not to vote.
Republicans show more uncertainty about their party’s ability to manage healthcare costs than Democrats do about theirs.
About 8 in 10 rural Democratic voters trust the Democratic Party to address healthcare expenses. Closer to 6 in 10 rural Republicans trust the GOP to handle the issue.
Georgia Republican Still Trusts Trump
Wanda Rogers, a 66-year-old Republican from the small town of Manassas, Georgia‘, believes the Trump administration is attempting to correct economic problems left by Democrats.
“I kind of think people think like I do, that he knows what needs to be done,” she said. “It’s just taking them a while to get it there.”
Her confidence in Trump has not eliminated her frustration with fuel costs.
“Gas prices, they’re eating me alive right now.”
Rogers said she had stopped traveling to the beach because gasoline had become too expensive.
Her comments reflect the tension captured by the poll: continued political trust in Trump combined with unhappiness over the economy.
North Carolina Independent Sees Food Inflation
Pamela Shaw, a 59-year-old independent voter living near Asheville, North Carolina, said rising food prices are affecting purchasing decisions throughout her rural community.
“When hamburger is over $7 a pound and steak is $15 or more a pound, a lot of people are not able to buy some of the things that they are used to buying,” she said.
Rural households frequently have fewer nearby stores and may need to drive longer distances to purchase groceries, healthcare services and other necessities.
Those conditions can magnify the impact of higher food and gasoline prices.
Trump’s Rural Approval Remains Higher Than National Rating
Trump’s overall approval rating among rural voters stands at 48%.
That is substantially higher than his approval among U.S. adults overall. A July AP-NORC survey found that only about one-third of adults nationally approved of his performance.
Trump’s rural approval nevertheless appears to have weakened. A similar question in the 2017 KFF-Washington Post survey found 56% approval among rural voters.
The erosion does not necessarily mean those voters will support Democrats, but even a modest reduction in Republican turnout could influence close congressional races.
Truck Driver Criticizes Broken Campaign Promises
Asunta Washington, a 38-year-old truck driver in South Texas, said he was willing to vote for Republican candidates whose positions he strongly supported.
So far, however, he has not found candidates who meet that standard.
“Like a lot of people that are giving us promises and the moment they get elected, all that’s out the window,” Washington said.
Washington said he had observed candidates changing positions rather than remaining committed to their promises.
His dissatisfaction reflects a broader lack of confidence in both major parties among some rural voters.
Democrats Have an Opportunity, but No Guarantee
Competitive Senate races in Ohio, Michigan and Maine include large numbers of rural voters.
Nicholas Jacobs, a political scientist at Colby College and co-author of The Rural Voter, said close contests give Democratic candidates an opening to appeal to economically frustrated communities.
Democrats may have an opportunity to “show up and give a message that rural people might find appealing,” Jacobs said.
“But it’s nothing more and it’s nothing less than that — an opportunity,” Jacobs said. “And time and time again, Democrats have shown a certain proclivity for not seizing that opportunity.”
Democrats have struggled for years to reduce Republican advantages in rural areas, despite promoting policies intended to improve healthcare, infrastructure and household finances.
Many Rural Voters Feel Politically Disrespected
Many respondents said neither major party nor the president fully respects people like them.
About 48% said the Republican Party respects people like them “a lot” or “some.”
Approximately 45% said the same about Trump, while 37% said the Democratic Party respects people like them.
The relatively low ratings for every option indicate broad political alienation that extends beyond dissatisfaction with one party or leader.
Ohio Teacher Wants More Purchasing Power
Nate Lawrence, a registered Republican and middle-school English teacher, spoke after spending $57 to fill his Chevrolet Equinox in New Concord, Ohio.
The village has fewer than 3,000 residents and is roughly an hour east of Columbus.
Lawrence said candidates should concentrate on household purchasing power.
“I need to be able to go to the store and feed my family on what I make as a teacher,” Lawrence said. “I should be able to pay for a house on a teacher’s salary.”
Lawrence previously voted for Trump but did not support him in 2024.
In Ohio’s Senate race, he is undecided between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Jon Husted.
Even if candidates promise to reduce prices, Lawrence said he will remain skeptical.
“Trump said that, and it didn’t happen,” he said.
Poll Methodology
The AP-KFF survey included 2,241 U.S. adults registered to vote in rural areas.
Researchers conducted the poll from Aug. 12 through Aug. 24, 2026.
The sample was drawn from the probability-based SSRS Opinion Panel. The margin of sampling error for the full survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
KFF researchers worked with The Associated Press to develop the sample and questionnaire and to analyze and report the results.
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