- COST-OF-LIVING IS A TOP CONCERN FOR NORTH CAROLINIANS: North Carolina shoppers are facing high prices due to Trump’s tariffs. A recent poll from the right-leaning Carolina Journal found that 58 percent of North Carolina residents are not confident in the state of the economy, and nearly 56 percent of North Carolinians believe Trump’s tariffs are hurting their families’ financial situation. An Elon University poll found that the majority of North Carolinians say inflation and the job market have worsened since Trump took office.
- FOOD COSTS ARE RISING IN NORTH CAROLINA: Food costs are rising nationwide thanks to Donald Trump’s tariffs and America-last trade policies – especially in North Carolina. 25 percent of North Carolina children live in food-insecure homes, and local food businesses are raising prices due to increased ingredient costs attributed to inflation and Trump’s tariffs.
- NC HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE UP THANKS TO TRUMP & REPUBLICANS: An Elon University poll found that a large majority (63 percent) of North Carolinians are “very or somewhat concerned” that it may become harder to get health care after the Trump-GOP budget cut $1 trillion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leaving more than half a million North Carolinians at risk of losing their health care. North Carolina will lose billions in funding for hospitals due to these cuts, and the state is already seeking $1 billion from the federal government to shore up rural health care in anticipation of slashed budgets.
- NORTH CAROLINA ENERGY COSTS ARE SKYROCKETING: Since Trump took office in January, energy bills are up a whopping 13 percent. Climate Power estimates that electricity bills in the state have also risen $240 annually, and Duke Energy – which serves about 1.8 million people across Central and Western North Carolina – is planning to hike customers’ monthly power bills by a cumulative 37 percent by 2029.
- JOB LOSSES & LOST NC INVESTMENT: Trump has cancelled billions of dollars in North Carolina clean energy investments, terminating $1.3 billion in clean energy funding for the state and leading to an estimated 1,849 jobs in North Carolina being lost. An Asheville-based energy company declared bankruptcy, laid off more than 78 percent of its workforce, and is closing its local Asheville facility thanks to these cuts. Likewise, Natron Energy canceled a $1.4 billion factory in Eastern North Carolina that would have created 1,000 jobs after it was forced to close and liquidate in September.
- TAR HEEL HOUSING CRUNCH: Affordable housing in North Carolina is becoming more scarce as home affordability has declined across all 15 of North Carolina’s metropolitan areas since 2019. Buying a home has become unaffordable for median-income households in all but one metropolitan area market in the state as median home prices have increased over 66 percent since 2020. The National Low Income Housing Coalition found that there is a severe shortage of affordable rental homes as well, with only 2 affordable rental homes available for every 5 extremely low-income North Carolina households.
- NC SMALL BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING: Many small business owners in North Carolina say they are struggling with rising costs, shipping delays, and economic uncertainty. 51 percent of Raleigh-area business owners listed higher prices as an extreme concern, higher than the national average.
- NORTH CAROLINA K-12 EDUCATION IN CRISIS: North Carolina teachers and schools are struggling amid Trump and DOGE’s budget cuts, Republican-caused funding disruptions, and higher costs. Tar Heel teachers are reportedly bearing the second-highest classroom supply costs in the nation this school year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has cancelled $121 million in federal grants to North Carolina schools and the Trump-GOP budget and government shutdown disrupted a further $199 million in federal grants to North Carolina schools. In Western North Carolina, some school districts have even considered closing schools in order to address multi-million dollar budget shortfalls.
- HELP RIPPED AWAY FROM NORTH CAROLINIANS: Trump’s budget cuts are ripping away vital assistance for health care, food, and more from hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians.
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- North Carolinians who buy Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage are facing an average premium increase of nearly 29 percent for 2026, and just under 900,000 people across the state will see their coverage costs for next year soar after the Trump-GOP budget ripped away critical ACA tax credits.
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- Trump and Republicans in Congress cut $187 billion in food assistance, which could leave 142,000 North Carolina residents with reduced food aid and leave the state without $2.8 billion in annual federal funds that generate $4.2 billion in economic impact.
- The Trump administration’s decision to leave North Carolinians to fend for themselves in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene continues to impact Western North Carolina’s economy.