Heartland/Rasmussen Poll: 36% of Young Voters Are Struggling Financially, 62% Think the Economy Is Unfair to Young People, and 55% Are Open to Radical Redistribution

36% of likely voters aged 18-39 described their financial situation as “struggling” or “in crisis.”

62% of likely voters aged 18-39 said they believe the American economy is unfair to young people

55% said they “somewhat” or “strongly” support “a law that would confiscate Americans’ excess wealth … in order to help young people buy a home for the first time.”

SCHAUMBURG, IL (September 8, 2025) – A new poll by StoppingSocialism.com, a project of The Heartland Institute, and Rasmussen Reports reveals troubling trends among young American voters aged 18-39. The survey finds widespread economic anxiety, deep housing insecurity, and a surprising openness to radical collectivist policies, underscoring a growing generational divide in U.S. politics.

The survey included 1,201 likely voters aged 18-39. It was completed on August 27, 2025.

See the poll questions and the crosstabs here.

Economic Crisis Among Young Americans: More than one-third (36%) of young voters report they are struggling or in crisis financially. Just 38% said they are merely “getting by,” while only a minority describe themselves as “doing well.” 

Doubts About Homeownership: Barely one-quarter (25%) are “very confident” they will own a home in the next 10 years. Alarmingly, a third (33%) feel “discouraged” or “not confident” they will own home, with another 10% say they are convinced they will never own a home.

Negative Perceptions About the Economic System: Nearly two-thirds (62%) of young Americans said “the American economy is unfair to young people. Only 27% disagreed with that statement.

Support for Radical Redistribution: More than half (55%) said they would support a law to confiscate “excess wealth,” including second homes, luxury cars, and private boats, to help young people buy their first homes.

StoppingSocialism.com was founded in 2018 and has since become one of The Heartland Institute’s most impactful projects. The website is dedicated to informing Americans about the dangers of socialism and communism using history, original research, and philosophy. Heartland is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1984 and headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems.

The poll has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

See the full results of the poll below, including some of the key data from the crosstabs.

The following quotes, provided by Heartland Institute experts, can be used for attribution:

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“These results paint a sobering picture. Young Americans are facing real financial pressures and housing insecurity, but what’s most concerning is that many are turning toward dangerous collectivist ideas as supposed solutions. The fact that more than half support wealth confiscation to buy homes shows just how far radical policies have penetrated mainstream thinking among voters under 40.”

Donald Kendal
Director
Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]

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“There appears to be a bit of cognitive dissonance among America’s youth. On one hand, more than half of Americans aged 18 to 39 say they are ‘thriving’ or ‘doing well’ in terms of their current personal life situation. Moreover, a majority describe their current financial situation as ‘doing well’ or ‘getting by.’ Nearly a third already own a home and a quarter are very confident they will own a home.

“While the future prospects appear decent for most young Americans, more than six in 10 still say the American economy is unfair to young people. Even more worrisome, more than half would support subjective and arbitrary excess wealth confiscation and radical redistribution. I can’t help but wonder if this is an indirect result of the everybody gets a trophy culture under which so many of these respondents have grown up. Material envy is a terrible trait that should be shunned, not celebrated.”

Chris Talgo
Editorial Director
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]

If you’d like to interview a Heartland Institute expert on this topic or other topics, please contact Donald Kendal, the director of the Glenn C. Haskins Emerging Issues Center and one of the primary authors of the Heartland/Rasmussen survey, at [email protected], or contact Vice President and Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected]. You can also call/text Jim at 312-731-9364.

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Survey of 1,201 18-39 US Likely Voters
Conducted August 26-27, 2025, by Rasmussen Reports and StoppingSocialism.com

Trump Approval

In the 2024 presidential election, who did you vote for, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump or some other candidate? Or did you not vote in the 2024 presidential election?

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How would you describe your current financial situation?

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Which best describes your current personal life situation

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Do you think the American economy is unfair to young people?

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How confident are you that you will own a home at some point in the next 10 years?

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Would you support a law that would confiscate Americans’ excess wealth – including things like second homes, luxury cars, and private boats – in order to help young people buy a home for the first time?

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Which country should be the most powerful in the world – America, Canada, a European country, a South or Central American country, an African country, an Asian country, or the United Nations?

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NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

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