Latino families across Colorado are feeling the state’s affordability crisis more sharply than the general population, according to results from The Colorado Health Foundation's 2026 Pulse Poll. Latino respondents reported higher levels of concern regarding housing, food, health insurance and financial stability and greater worry about what the future may hold for them in Colorado. Pulse Poll results show that rising costs are reshaping daily life for Latino families.

“The data is clear: Latino families are being hit hard by Colorado’s affordability crisis,” said Katie Peshek, senior communications officer at The Colorado Health Foundation. “These are not temporary pressures; they are deepening realities that are affecting families in every corner of the state.”

Affordability hits Latinos early and hard

Latino respondents rated the state’s top affordability concerns higher than the general population, with the cost of housing topping the list, with 89% of Latinos calling it a serious concern, compared with 85% of the general population. Homelessness follows at 80%, compared to 76% among the general population, and jobs and the economy at 68%, versus 65% within the general population.

Gaps were more pronounced across several other categories. Compared with all respondents, Latinos were 13% more likely to worry about affording enough food, 12% more likely to fear losing their home, 8% less likely to say they are living comfortably with savings, and 6% more likely to say they are worse off financially than they were a year ago.

The year-over-year picture helps explain the persistence of these gaps. The share of Latinos living comfortably with savings rose from 14% in 2025 to 17% in 2026, yet it still trails the general population’s 25%. Worry about losing housing climbed from 39% in 2025 to 44% in 2026. Worry about losing health insurance rose from 42% to 53% over the same period. Even where the numbers improved, the gap held.

Crime, Racial Bias and Violence Weigh Heavily on Latinos

The widest gaps for Latinos show up in some of the issues families feel most directly, including drug and alcohol abuse and gun violence, at +15% and +12%, respectively. Latino respondents rated hunger (50%) and racial bias (43%) as extremely or very serious problems, 9 points above the general population. 

“These gaps speak to what people are actually living, not just what they worry about,” said Dr. Judith Álvarez, founder of Clinica del Pueblo in Carbondale and grantee of The Colorado Health Foundation. “And year after year, the numbers keep moving in the wrong direction.”

Concern about hunger rose from 48% in 2025 to 50% in 2026. Worry about gun violence jumped from 45% to 52%. Racial bias saw a sharp increase, climbing from 39% to 43%. Taken together, the trend points one way: “Latino families are carrying more pressure today, not less,” said Dr. Álvarez.

Latinos are making hard, daily trade-offs

To stay afloat, more Latino families are falling behind on the basics. In the last year, 34% skipped or made a late utility payment, compared with 22% of the general population. Loan payments followed the same pattern, with 30% of Latinos paying late or skipping, against 19% of the general population. The sacrifices people make to cover rent, or a mortgage are starker still.

Nearly half of Latino renters (45%) said they avoid raising problems with their landlord, compared with 34% of renters overall. That figure is up eight points from 2025, as more families are staying quiet rather than risking their housing. 

“These numbers paint a clear picture of strength in tough times,” said Dr. Álvarez. “Many Latinos deal with housing challenges quietly, which speaks to real fears and everyday obstacles that need urgent attention.”

Younger Latinos carry the heaviest load

Concerns about losing housing climbed sharply among younger adults including 58% for those 18 to 29 years old and 55% for those 30 to 44 years of age. The concern drops to 33% for ages 45 to 60 and 24% for those over 60. Compared to those who are retired, the people most likely to be in the workforce are also the ones most worried about maintaining housing, while those who are unemployed are very worried about losing their housing.

Shared frustration with government, plus an added layer

Latinos share the general population’s frustration with government and politics, but their concerns are based around everyday matters rooted in issues such as food insecurity/skipping meals, housing instability and gaps in health insurance. 

That difference shows up in what each group wants from the government. The general population ranks responsible spending as a priority, followed by responding to economic concerns. For Latinos, the order shifts: responding to economic concerns comes first, then supporting health and well-being. Dissatisfaction with government and politics is comparable to all poll respondents on most metrics, but Latinos are more likely to be dissatisfied with the overall job being done in support of the health and well-being of all Coloradans.

A working community, with uneven stability

Latino poll respondents are overwhelmingly in the workforce with 48% working full-time, 11% part-time and 7% self-employed. Only 19% are retired, most of them over 60. The younger Latinos powering the workforce are also the ones under the most financial pressure. This is relatively similar to the overall population.

A gender gap runs through both education and earnings. Among Latino poll respondents, 48% of men hold a college degree, compared with 35% of women. The same split shows up in income, where 48% of men earn $100,000 or more, compared to 33% of women.

Political independence is rising, and fastest among younger, higher-income and higher-educated Latinos. Among higher-educated Latino poll respondents, 45% identify as independent, along with 46% of men, 41% of those aged 30 to 44 and 35% of urban Latinos. The pattern points to a community that evaluates leaders by performance and results rather than traditional party alignment.

The big picture

One theme runs through the findings: Latino families in Colorado prioritize solutions over partisan positioning. On housing, food, health insurance, and neighborhood safety, they focus less on which party offers a fix than on whether the fix works. The priorities are consistent: lower costs, a stronger safety net, and systems built to last. Health care is one place those pressures show up.

“In our communities, Latino families continue to face choices no one should have to make: taking care of their health or covering basic needs,” said Dr. Álvarez, “On top of long‑standing barriers such as language, fear and lack of information, strained financial resources keep us from receiving the high‑quality medical and emotional care we deserve. And when that care doesn’t reach our families, their health doesn’t improve and their future doesn’t move forward.”

Small business owners describe the same pressure. Maria Cooper runs Tree of Life Childcare in Thornton, Colorado and is working to open a second location to serve a growing number of local families. Rising business costs, along with the cost-of-living pressures on the families she serves, have created a ripple effect that jeopardizes her work.

“Opening a new location has been a real challenge,” Cooper said. “We understand the need to comply with new permitting and staffing requirements, but these added expenses (combined with rising inflation) have significantly increased the cost of educational materials and the food we provide to the children we serve. In the end, these pressures force business decisions that affect many people. We decided to punish our income rather than punish families.”

For others, the same pressures come with a note of resolve.

“We’re being targeted in this crucial moment, but all I hear in our meetings is, ‘We’re going to move forward,’” said Maria Gonzales, founder and CEO of Adelante Community Development. “Yes, this might be very painful and hateful, but at the end of the day, we don’t give up. We’re resilient, we’re hard workers, and we’re here to thrive.”

Gonzales tied both the threat and the resolve to the economy, arguing that Latino-owned businesses matter because "we're talking about the backbone of the U.S. and Colorado economy. Our communities are not invisible. Our voices matter. And we will continue showing up," she added.

A call for action

“The Pulse Poll makes one thing clear: Colorado cannot afford to overlook what Latino families are experiencing,” said Maribel Cifuentes, portfolio director at The Colorado Health Foundation. “The disparities highlighted in this year’s findings are not inevitable,and they are solvable. Addressing them requires leadership that listens, responds and acts with urgency. Latino families are already doing their part, making daily sacrifices to keep up with rising costs. It’s time for institutions to meet them with solutions that match the scale of the challenges they face.”

About The Colorado Health Foundation Pulse Poll

The 2026 Pulse Poll was conducted by telephone and online from March 14–April 9, 2026 among a representative sample of 2,240 adults age 18 and older living in Colorado, including oversamples of Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian American Coloradans. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is ±3.2% at the 95% confidence level. For subgroup analyses, margins of error are higher.

At The Colorado Health Foundation, we believe in listening first. Every year, we make sure Coloradans can share their views on critical issues such as housing affordability, health care, and mental health. By gathering data based on the experiences and perspectives of Colorado residents, the Pulse Poll provides valuable insights to inform policies that will have a long-term impact on the well-being of Colorado communities in the years ahead. Learn more at copulsepoll.org

The Colorado Health Foundation is a statewide philanthropic organization that champions the health and overall well-being of everyone in Colorado, promoting and investing in solutions and policies that advance health equity and racial justice. Learn more at coloradohealth.org.