A recent report highlights the struggles many mayors across the country are facing when it comes to lowering living costs that impact local communities.
According to a survey by the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), 92% of mayors, representing around 34.1 million people in 113 cities across 39 states and Puerto Rico, noted that living expenses have risen in their cities since 2025. This was detailed in a report released on Friday.
Interestingly, the USCM is a nonpartisan organization focused on cities with populations of at least 30,000, but they did not provide a comment to the Daily Caller News Foundation swiftly.
Almost 96% of mayors identified housing costs as the top affordability issue for residents.
While mayors are taking action where possible, they emphasize that federal support is crucial for making life more affordable for everyone. pic.twitter.com/XNWQLx3nDl
— The United States Conference of Mayors (@usmayors) September 18, 2026
Importantly, 95.5% of the mayors mentioned housing as a primary concern, while 55.4% pointed to groceries, and 40.2% highlighted utilities.
Many mayors reported local government initiatives aimed at alleviating these challenges.
Greensboro, North Carolina Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter mentioned in the report, “We provide rental assistance to qualified individuals who may be struggling with homelessness or financial issues. Our Housing GSO initiative focuses on four main goals: affordable rental options, community investment, home ownership opportunities, and supportive housing. We’re seeking partnerships with both public and private sectors to bolster this effort.”
She also noted that Greensboro’s city council allocated over $8.1 million for six “affordable multifamily developments.”
“It seems like people are putting in more effort than ever, yet many feel like the cost of living is outpacing their ability to manage,” Fitchburg, Massachusetts Mayor Sam Squailia said in the report. “In response to this affordability crisis, we launched Fitchburg’s Community Electricity Aggregation program, which gives both residents and businesses a competitively procured electricity supply option instead of solely relying on the basic service rate from utilities. This initiative has allowed for greater price stability and even resulted in direct savings on monthly electric bills when utility rates surged. We’re also actively promoting housing production and repurposing underused buildings.”
However, the survey indicated that local efforts might fall short.
Continually, 82% of the mayors surveyed expressed a need for either additional resources or reduced regulations to tackle housing issues. Furthermore, 56.3% believed that ending the Iran War could alleviate affordability problems by bringing down gas prices.
As of Tuesday, the national average price of diesel hit a record high of $6.23 per gallon, according to AAA.
This survey was conducted by the USCM between August 18 and September 4.
