POLLING: Cost of Living and Taxes Are Top Threats to Mass Competitiveness

Our latest polling data suggests rising cost of living concerns are threatening overall quality of life in Massachusetts. But many may not yet realize it. Let’s dive in. 

The good news is 41 percent of respondents ranked their quality of life in Massachusetts between 8-10 (on a scale where one was the worst and 10 was the best). Only five percent ranked themselves between 1-3. The majority put themselves squarely in the middle, between 4-7. 

Additionally, 54 percent of respondents agreed to some degree that Massachusetts was headed in the right direction. 

It certainly seems like a promising start that reflects the many things people said they loved about living here. Top ranking among them were strong family ties, the beautiful scenery and climate, as well as strong educational institutions and access to industry-leading healthcare. 

But the outlook was less rosy when we asked if people thought their quality of life was improving or getting worse than it was last year. Nearly one-third of respondents (31 percent) said it was getting worse. Compare that to the just over 20 percent that said quality of life was improving.

Perhaps that’s why when asked if they considered moving out of Mass. in the last year, almost 40 percent of respondents said “yes.” Half said they knew someone who had moved out or considered moving out.

This isn’t just perception – government data shows people are really moving out of state. 

It’s clear something, or more likely a confluence of things, is dampening people’s prospects in the Commonwealth. When we drilled down into some of the reasons people found their quality of life suffered, one factor stood out: The rising cost of living in Mass. 

We asked people to identify what factors they believed were driving people out of the state. Far and away, the top answers were rising housing and rent prices, general cost of living concerns, and high taxes. A whopping 82 percent agreed that their taxes were too high.

Voters were also concerned about the impact on the business climate: More than half of respondents believed the state isn’t doing enough to help small businesses and job creators.

When businesses struggle, people and communities tend to struggle as well. Amid rising costs for everyone, it’s no wonder so many believe their quality of life is getting worse. For others, they may not realize the long-term impact high taxes and rising costs will have. One thing seems clear: If we don’t turn things around, the percent of people who believe their quality of life is getting worse will only grow.