Affording a home is a top issue for Arizona voters, and something many say could prompt them to leave the state.

About 40% of Arizona voters ranked housing affordability among their top three concerns, according to Noble Predictive Insights’ latest AZPOP survey. About 12% said housing was their top issue.

Concern over high housing costs was highest with voters who have lived in Arizona for five to 10 years, Democrats, voters between 30-44 and people living in urban areas.

About 58% of the 1,006 Arizonans polled said they would support a new apartment complex within three miles of their home if it would lower housing costs. That's suprising since “not in my backyard” attitudes — NIMBYism — have become a big issue in Arizona.

About 25% of those surveyed said they wouldn’t support an apartment complex close to them even if it brought down housing costs.

"When people talk about inflation or a cost-of-living crisis, they’re talking about housing,” said David Byler, chief of research at Noble Predictive in a statement. “In other states, housing prices shot up and people moved out. Arizona is not all the way there.”

The Center for the Future of Arizona’s latest survey from May 2024 found Republican, Democratic and independent/unaffiliated voters of all ages are concerned about housing issues and want more action at state and local levels to address the problem.

Several pieces of Arizona legislation to address housing issues have been introduced this year, including the "Arizona Starter Home Act," which would restrict local zoning limits on home building and could make building less expensive. Similar legislation introduced over the past few years has failed.

The typical metro Phoenix family earning $101,000 has to spend 39% of its income to afford to buy a median priced Valley house, according to the Housing Opportunity Index from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

Anyone spending more than 30% of their income on housing is considered financially stretched.

Renters must work 76 hours a week making the minimum wage to pay for a one-bedroom apartment in Arizona, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s latest "Out of Reach" report.

At $27.25 an hour, Arizona has the 14th highest housing wage in the U.S. for a one-bedroom. The nonprofit’s housing wage is the amount needed to rent a “modest” apartment.

The AZPOP poll found that more than 25% of Arizona voters have seriously considered leaving Arizona because of housing costs. More than 50% say housing is too expensive but don’t want to leave the state.

Only 13% believe housing is still affordable in Arizona.

Reach the reporter at or 602-444-8040. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @CatherineReagor .