In 2022, many Coloradans told us that they are feeling overwhelmed by the rising cost of living, including but not limited to housing costs. While Coloradans do their best to live within their means, many make difficult tradeoffs just to make ends meet. Some are skipping meals because they can’t afford food (16%); others are going without health care (41%) or working more in order to pay for their housing (41%); many are experiencing mental health strain (61%) but say out-of-pocket costs are a barrier to getting the help they need (47%).

The Pulse Poll, now in its third year, helps us better understand how many Coloradans experience these issues. With this data, we are able to not only see the state as a whole, but also to zoom in and see patterns of what people are thinking and experiencing – within and across different segments of the state’s population. What we hear through Pulse puts our deeper conversations with community into better context.

At the Foundation, our vision is that everyone has everything they need to be healthy – and what we've learned is that health is simply not in reach for all – especially communities of color. Therefore, we are charged with more deeply understanding the experiences and priorities of Coloradans of color when it comes to their health, which can help us identify where missing opportunities may exist.

For instance, 22% of Latino Coloradans told us that they skipped meals in the last year because they could not afford food. Latinos have also said, for more than three years now, that the cost of housing is a serious problem. Nearly half (42%) told us they are worried about losing their own homes in the next year because they cannot afford to pay for their rent or mortgage.

This has caused many to believe that Colorado is no longer an affordable place to live. These worries are even more common among Latinos living on low income and Latinas:

• Sixty-four percent of Latinos earning $50,000 or less a year are worried they may lose their home in the next year because they can’t afford it.
• Forty-seven percent of Latinas share that same worry.

The worries about affordability in our state stretch beyond the home as well:

These concerns have increased for all Coloradans over the last three years, but Pulse also sheds light on how Coloradans believe state and local policies can tackle these affordability issues:

As we near the coming 2022 election, Colorado voters will weigh in directly on a wide range of state and local ballot measures that address cost of living issues. Our findings help us all understand the challenges people are experiencing in 2022 – and the kinds of solutions Coloradans believe can help alleviate our worries about the cost of living here. One thing is clear: Colorado needs more housing that everyone, across income levels, can afford.

Want to know more? 

We’ve created an interactive data dashboard that puts the findings from Pulse in your hands. Find the topics you’re interested in – housing, mental health, racial justice – and the populations whose experiences you’d like to explore. Then use the dashboard to filter the results by race, income, region, political affiliation and more. Every question we asked in Pulse is now available, so you can dive in and find the data that’s useful for you. You can also explore further research into what Latinos in Colorado are thinking and experiencing in the recently published 2022 Latino Policy Agenda.