A couple of weeks ago, the Minnesota Chamber released results of a statewide poll asking various economic questions. Few of the findings will come as a surprise to our readers, but Minnesotans are, it seems, familiar with the state’s economic problems.
Affordability
“Affordability” emerged as a leading concern, as it did when we polled the issue for the Winter 2026 issue of “Thinking Minnesota” magazine.
Only 11% of Minnesotans say their personal finances have gotten better over the last year. This correlates strongly with income with 19% of the highest income Minnesotans ($150,000+) saying their finances have gotten better, while only 6% of lower income (
● Nearly half (47%) say their finances have gotten worse, with over 50% of low-income
Minnesotans (53%) feeling this way, compared to only a third (33%) of high-income residents.● 53% of residents between 45 and 64 years old said their finances have gotten worse, emblematic of a dissatisfaction with the state’s economy for this generation.
Troublingly, few believe that their finances are going to get better (18%). A plurality see their finances as staying about the same (46%), while 37% say they will get worse. Those that believe their finances will get better focus on what is in their control, rather than in rising tides among the economy as a whole:
“I feel optimistic because I have a stable parttime job. I’m sticking to a clear monthly budget to reduce wasteful spending and I’m slowly growing my savings. These consistent habits give me confidence in my financial stability over the next year.” – White man, 18-24, college educated
For real solutions to this problem, watch this space.
State and local taxes
State and local taxes are part of this sqieeze on affordability in Minnesota:
“Rising property taxes that continue to increase our mortgage along with increased utilities like electric” – White woman, 35-44, “Cost of living increase for fixed income families. And high taxes And getting taxed on social security benefits” – White man, 65-74, college educated
…
“My property tax and insurance have increased by 35% in five years I work for The Minnesota Department of Transportation. My wages have been increased by less than 10%” – White Man, 45-54,
“It only seems to get worse for normal taxpayers and they always want more.” – White Man, 25-34,
Increasingly, Minnesotans do not feel that they are getting value for money for their high taxes:
When asked if Minnesota provides good value services and programs for what they pay in state and local taxes 39% say yes, but 46% say no.
● Half of middle-income residents say they do not get what they pay for, along with 54% of selfdescribed political independents. Gen X is also feeling squeezed, with 62% of men 45-64 and 57% of women in the same age bracket saying they do not get what they pay for.
There is also a feeling of deteriorating value. 51% of Minnesotans say that compared to a few years ago, Minnesota provides worse value for their tax dollars. Only 9% say “better.”
● 54% of white residents, 55% of non-college educated residents, and 61% of business owners say they are getting worse value for their tax money now relative to a few years ago.
Minnesotans are not wrong in these beliefs. As we have noted recently:
- The average earning Minnesotan handed over 4.9% of their 2025 wages to the state government, a higher share than in 43 out of 50 other states. (Source)
- Minnesota is one of just 16 states where the share of the average earner’s wages swallowed up by the state government in income tax has increased over the last decade. (Source)
- In 2025, Minnesota’s state government spent $6,098 per person, an amount higher than in 45 other states. (Source)
- Adjusted for inflation, Minnesota’s level of state government spending per person increased by 18.5% between 2019 and 2025. This was a greater increase than in 42 other states. (Source)
Minnesota’s economy
Minnesotans don’t feel that our economy is particularly strong:
A plurality of Minnesotans (35%) rate the state’s economy as “fair,” with another 30% rating it as “poor.” Only 35% rate the economy as either “excellent” or “good.”
● Residents of the Twin-Cities metro area are most likely to say the economy is “excellent” or “good” (40%), but even here, 60% are dissatisfied with the state’s economy.
● Education is also a predictor of Minnesotans’ views, with 53% of college educated residents viewing the economy as fair or poor, while 72% of residents without a college degree view the economy negatively.
● Similarly, those with household incomes over $150,000 are the most positive (47%
excellent/good), while more than two-thirds (69%) of those making under $75,000 view the economy negatively.● Self-ascribed business owners and full-time employees are similarly negative about Minnesota’s economy, with 69% of business owners, and 65% of employees saying the economy is fair or poor.
Further, they don’t anticipate the economy getting better over the next year: 44% say it will get worse, to 20% better; 29% say it will remain “about the same.”
● Residents in the Northern region of the state are the most pessimistic, with only 10% expecting the economy to get better, while 60% expect it to be worse.
● More than half (51%) of high-income residents say the economy is going to get worse over the next year.
Once again, Minnesotans are not wrong in these beliefs. As we have noted recently:
- In every single year since 2014, per capita GDP has grown more slowly in Minnesota than for the United States generally, a record of underperformance matched only by Wisconsin. (Source)
- As recently as 2014, GDP was $4,700 per person higher than it was for the United States generally, or $18,800 for a family of four. In 2025, for the first time on record, GDP per capita in Minnesota was below the national average. (Source)
- In real terms, median household income in Minnesota has fallen by 6.4% since 2019, a worse performance than in 44 states. (Source)
- Real, per capita Personal Income has grown more slowly in Minnesota since 2018 than in 34 other states. (Source)
On each of these issues Minnesotans seem to be both engaged and well informed. It seems that they want a change of direction, and who can blame them?
