Los Altos, CA (November 2022) – A new survey of 300+ active U.S. renters shows they are highly engaged in the 2022 midterm elections.
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Jonas Bordo, CEO and cofounder of Dwellsy, says these results come as no surprise.
“In the past year, median asking rent rose by 29 percent, with some U.S. cities seeing more than a 100 percent increase in rent prices,” says Bordo. “It’s safe to say that skyrocketing rent has gotten renters’ attention.”
Whether you blame inflation, supply-and-demand, corporate greed, housing trends sparked by the pandemic, or something else for the recent roller coaster renters have endured, one thing is certain: This engaged group of voters has the power to influence the outcome of some races.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that renters make up 36 percent of all households, making them a voting force to be reckoned with.
What Renters Feels About The Midterm Elections
Beyond the high percentage of self-declared midterm voters, here are more takeaways from Dwellsy’s survey of its renters:
The respondents are a disillusioned bunch
In response to the question, “Do you think politicians care to pass laws that positively impact renters?” 80 percent said no. This question had the least amount of variance in responses.
What’s more, when asked which political party they plan to support, while 45 percent named the Democratic party, the next highest percentage (32 percent of the respondents) answered “Other”—meaning parties that do not identify as Democrat, Republican, or Green. (Only 20 percent of respondents identify as Republicans.)
“These answers seem to reflect a lot of disillusionment in politicians and, really, a lack of trust in the current two-party system,” notes Bordo. “Again, this is not surprising given the struggles renters have experienced over the past year or so.”
They Expect Midterm Outcomes To Directly Impact Their Lives...
In response to the question, “How much do you think the results of the upcoming midterm elections will impact your life?” 88 percent indicated the results will have some type of impact, while 65 percent of those feel the results will strongly impact their lives.
...And Many Believe Those Outcomes Will Impact Their Housing Options.
In response to the question, “Will the election impact your choice to stay a renter or to explore homeownership?” a surprising 53 percent said yes.
“Since renting is often a stepping stone to homeownership, it seems safe to say that many people are linking their hopes on achieving this piece of the American Dream to the outcome of the upcoming elections,” notes Bordo.
To view the survey results in their entirety, click here.
“We do surveys like this because renters are truly a non-homogenous group,” says Bordo. “By gathering data from this key slice of the population, we feel we can get an accurate snapshot of how Americans in general think and feel about the issues that affect their lives.”
About Jonas Bordo:
Jonas Bordo is the CEO and cofounder of Dwellsy, the free residential rental marketplace that makes it easy to find hard-to-find rentals.
About Dwellsy:
Dwellsy is the renter’s marketplace: a comprehensive residential home rentals marketplace based on the radical concept that true, organic search in a free ecosystem creates more value than the pay-to-play model embraced by all of the current rental listing services.
