One in 10 Americans says they can’t pay their rent or mortgage this month -- about the same as last month, according to a YouGov survey of more than 8,740 US adults.
Survey data shows 10 percent of Americans say they cannot pay their rent or mortgage this month, a number that remains steady compared to last month. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans say they will be able to pay their rent or mortgage this month, up slightly from 61% at the end of March.
The most recent wave was conducted in the last days of April as the country entered Week 8 of a state of emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.YouGov asked “Looking at your current financial situation, are you able to pay your rent or mortgage for May?”
US adults aged 18-34 (15%) and 35-44 (15%) are more likely than older Americans to say they can’t pay for housing this month. Further, those making less than $40,000 per year are more likely to say they’ll struggle to pay (12%), compared to those making between $40,000 and $80,000 (7%) or more (3%).
The economic outlook in the US and across the globe remains grim. In the last six weeks, new unemployment filings have topped 30 million and President Donald Trump has extended social-distancing guidelines through until the end of May. In the last 30 days, nearly 90 million of the 150 million eligible for stimulus money had received their payment by April 17.
In a separate survey by YouGov, 61 percent of Americans believe an economic depression is coming in the next 12 months, while roughly a third (34%) say we’re already in one.
Methodology: April survey based on sample size of 8,740 US adults between April 29 - 30, 2020. March data based on sample size of 7,567 US adults between March 30 - 31, 2020
