Idahoans are increasingly worried about the economy and pessimistic about where things are headed in the state, that's according to the eighth annual policy survey conducted by Boise State University researchers.
The survey, conducted in November, asked a thousand residents questions about the state’s budget, taxes, education, housing, the environment and crime.
It found the number one legislative concern for Idahoans was education, followed by jobs and housing which replaced healthcare for third place.
Research Director Matthew May co-authored the study and spoke to Idaho Matters.
“The thing that was a little surprising that we weren't quite prepared for was just kind of the degree of concern about the future that Idahoans are experiencing at this time,” May said.
The majority of people surveyed said they feel the state is growing too fast and property taxes are too high, with a third saying they’d like the state’s $1 billion surplus going towards tax relief.
“Regardless of one's party ID, regardless of whether they rent or own their home, there is strong support for eliminating the sales tax on groceries,” May said.
The survey showed 43% of residents worried about paying their bills and around 60% of renters reported seeing their rent go up in the last year. A majority said they feared they would not be able to find housing if they had to leave their current living situation.
