‘Nevadans are getting hosed’: Why affordability is 2026’s buzzword

Rising fuel, grocery and housing costs have created a crisis for state residents and will play a major role in determining the next governor.

Tabitha Mueller
October 1st, 2026 at 2:00 AM

Editor’s note: This is the third of three stories focusing on how the economy is playing out in November’s election. You can read the first one here, and the second one here.

Nevada’s average fuel costs are the fourth-highest in the country.

Grocery bills? Higher than the national average. Car insurance rates are the most expensive anywhere in the country, all while median rents and home prices have outpaced income growth over the past decade and left residents “financially burdened” by housing costs.

As one Republican politician summed up in a recent campaign ad, “Nevadans are getting hosed.”

For all those reasons, the buzzword of this election cycle has been affordability.

Polling has underscored the sentiment, with Emerson College showing a large plurality of Nevada voters (43 percent) view the economy as their top issue, followed by housing affordability (15 percent). A separate poll from Dave Sackett indicated that inflation and cost of living, followed by the economy and jobs, were Nevada voters’ top issues.

Economists and regional experts say Nevada’s geography, population growth, infrastructure, fuel reliance and proximity to California make those national economic pressures hit harder.

“Depending on the month that you look at, we’re either just barely keeping up or just barely slipping behind,” said David Schmidt, the state’s chief economist.

He noted that while conflicts in the Middle East are affecting fuel costs everywhere, an economy such as Nevada’s, which relies heavily on tourism dollars and leisure spending, is more exposed to shifts in consumer sentiment.

“It’s a high frequency, high visibility kind of thing,” Schmidt said. “When you’re paying for the groceries, when you’re filling up your tank, when you’re sending in your rent or mortgage every month, I think the visibility of those prices also sometimes can affect perception.”

That perception is playing a major role in the race between Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford, with data from AdImpact showing at least 16 campaign ads from both parties in the last 30 days focused on the economy or affordability, half of which are tied to the governor’s race.

“It’s really the accumulation of all these moving parts that are now colliding together all at once, in addition to the mortgage rates and the $40 trillion debt and wars,” said Brian Bonnenfant, project manager for the Center for Regional Studies at UNR. “And so it’s all come together and hitting us right now in the face.”

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