NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — An overwhelming 85% of New Jersey residents are dissatisfied with how the state government is handling the cost of living and affordability, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Wednesday.
The numbers aren’t good for Democrats, Governor Phil Murphy, or Mikie Sherrill, who is the Democrat party nominee for governor this year.
The survey found that 52% of respondents are “very dissatisfied” and 33% are “somewhat dissatisfied” with the state’s efforts on affordability. Only 12% expressed any level of satisfaction, with just 2% “very satisfied.”
“There isn’t a single issue where a significant majority is satisfied,” Koning noted.
Discontent with taxes also remains high, with 80% of residents expressing dissatisfaction, including 53% who say they are “very dissatisfied.” Just 16% say they are satisfied with how the state manages taxes.
“New Jerseyans are in a state of malaise when it comes to how Trenton is handling a number of key statewide issues,” said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
Dissatisfaction on taxes has remained largely unchanged over the last decade, while frustration over affordability has increased by 10 points since 2017, the poll found.
The discontent cuts across party lines. Although Republicans are the most negative on the state’s direction, majorities of Democrats and independents also say they are unhappy with the way New Jersey is being managed on core economic issues.
New Jersey residents were also more negative than positive when it came to the state’s handling of transportation, infrastructure, and the state budget. On transportation, 54% are dissatisfied compared to 39% satisfied. Views on the state budget show 57% dissatisfied and 30% satisfied — a marked improvement over a decade ago.
The state economy and job market yielded a split response: 48% of respondents said they are dissatisfied, compared to 44% satisfied. Satisfaction in this area has declined 11 percentage points since 2022.
Education and schools, once a strong point for the state, also show a decline in satisfaction. Just 47% say they are satisfied with the state’s performance in this area, while 41% are dissatisfied — a double-digit shift in sentiment from three years ago.
On health care, residents are similarly divided, with 49% expressing satisfaction and 45% saying they are dissatisfied. Public opinion in this area has returned to 2017 levels after a temporary increase in 2022.
Slightly more residents — 51% — are satisfied with the state’s handling of crime and safety than those who are not (45%), though the margin is statistically insignificant. Over the past decade, positive sentiment in this area has declined while dissatisfaction has grown.
“There isn’t a single issue where a significant majority is satisfied,” Koning noted.
The data paints a picture of broad-based dissatisfaction heading into the state’s next gubernatorial election, with affordability now a defining concern.
New Jersey’s sharp dissatisfaction over cost of living and taxes could shape the political battlefield in the upcoming governor’s race.
