August 27, 2026

Survey: Kentucky Voters Most Concerned About Cost of Living

LOUISVILLE, KY – Today, the Kentucky Alliance for Retired Americans released findings of a new survey showing voters in the Louisville region and surrounding suburbs are divided on whether the state is on the right track. Voters want elected officials to focus on issues that affect their daily lives and are concerned with the cost of living, health care, education, and protecting the character of their communities.

For many Kentuckians, particularly retirees and older adults living on fixed incomes, rising costs are an urgent concern. Across both areas surveyed, voters identified health care as their leading cost concern, followed by groceries and property tax rates.

Forty-three percent of the respondents were over the age of 60, but the concerns were not markedly different than younger voters with cost of living, education and job training, and preservation of the things that make their community special all being top of mind. A
significant majority of voters want leaders to make long-term investments in Kentucky families and communities, helping foster what makes our communities special, rather than special interests.

“Kentuckians are worried about how to keep up with day-to-day expenses and getting the cost of living under control. Older Kentuckians are also concerned with staying in their homes as they age and not losing their savings if they get sick,” said Kirk Gillenwaters, President of the Kentucky Alliance for Retired Americans. “Every elected official and candidate, regardless of party, should be answering these questions and telling voters how they will improve our lives.”

Key findings:

• A strong majority (73% in Eastern/Northeastern Suburbs of Louisville, and 80% in Exurban Louisville) believe that Kentucky politicians should use education and job training programs, rather than tax incentives, to create jobs.
• Across both areas surveyed, voters are most concerned with the cost of health care (24%) and groceries (21%), as well as property tax rates (19%).
• Respondents are proud of where they live and want to preserve their communities’ character. An overwhelming majority believe that more should be done to protect farmland (90%), and a majority believe data center construction should be stopped
  (59%).
• Education is very important to a majority of voters in both areas, and a majority (77%) say they prefer candidates who will shield public schools from budget cuts.

The findings indicate that candidates can earn broad support by addressing the practical concerns voters raise every day: lowering costs, protecting access to affordable, quality health care, strengthening public schools, investing in workforce training, and standing with communities to protect their farmland.

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The Kentucky Alliance for Retired Americans is a state affiliate of the national Alliance for Retired Americans, with 63,187 members that works for a secure, healthy retirement for all Americans.

Contact: Lisa Cutler at lcutler@retiredamericans.org