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Detroit Regional Chamber > Michigan Voter Polls > New Statewide Poll: Voters Unaware as Michigan’s Economic and Education Rankings Continue to Plummet

New Statewide Poll: Voters Unaware as Michigan’s Economic and Education Rankings Continue to Plummet

February 23, 2026
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Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber released findings from its latest statewide poll of 600 registered Michigan voters in partnership with the Glengariff Group, Inc. The poll was conducted between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, 2026.

While the poll covered the economy, data centers, the ability of Washington and Lansing to compromise, and the race to be Michigan’s next governor, voters’ misperceptions of how Michigan compares to other states indicate a major red flag for business, education, and government leaders.

Richard Czuba

“On nearly every metric we tested, Michigan voters believe the state is doing average against the other states. The reality is that Michigan is doing far worse. Michigan voters have no clue how we stack up against the other states, even on those metrics where Michigan is at the bottom of the list.”

– Richard Czuba, President, The Glengariff Group, Inc. 

The Chamber’s poll asked Michigan voters to rank the state’s performance on six key metrics nationally. Their responses were consistent across party lines, placing the state near the middle of the pack – between about 25 and 28 – out of the 50 U.S. states.

Sandy K. Baruah

“In many ways, our house is on fire. In just one generation, Michigan has fallen from a top 10 or 20 state to a bottom 10 state in per capita income and educational achievement, which is not a recipe for long-term economic success. We need to come together and start having the candid and hard conversations about Michigan’s shortfalls. Our state needs to embrace what it takes to thrive in the innovation economy, or accept being ranked dead last in the nation, something that was inconceivable not that long ago.”

– Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Regional Chamber 

MICHIGAN’S NATIONAL RANKINGS | Voters Across Political Spectrum Incorrectly View Michigan as ‘Average’ on Key Economic and Education Measures Despite Near-Last Rankings

When asked to rank Michigan on six key metrics, voters ranked the state from 25.6 to 28.6 out of 50 states consistently across party lines. These perceptions do not reflect the reality of where Michigan ranks, which is largely near the bottom, as reflected below.

Respondent’s RankingsMichigan’s Actual Rankings
25.6 Percentage of population with a college degree33rd
26.8 Student performance in reading44th
27.4 Average income per person40th
27.6 Attracting new businesses and jobsN/A
27.9 Attracting high-technology jobs45th
28.6 Unemployment rate45th

Chamber Perspective

 

No other state has fallen as hard or as fast in per capita income and educational performance as Michigan has. Michigan’s poor performance on these key metrics should serve as a wake-up call for business leaders, lawmakers, and voters. Michigan continues a precipitous, long-term decline to the bottom of national rankings, which poses a serious threat to the state’s long-term economic competitiveness, as other states like Mississippi have reversed key metrics like reading scores and climbed from the bottom to the top third (16th) nationally. It also reflects the state’s inability to commit to long-term, cohesive strategies that support education, economic development, infrastructure investment, and other key drivers of innovation and economic growth.

 

In the 2025 State of Education and Talent Report, the Chamber highlighted how Michigan’s per capita income ranking fell from 18th in 2000 to 40th in 2024 – its lowest ever. The reality is that there is no such thing as a prosperous region that is not also highly educated. Important education metrics, such as student reading scores and postsecondary educational attainment, go hand-in-hand with economic metrics and outcomes. Higher education levels are linked to higher income and economic prosperity.

 

For Michigan to thrive, the state and the Detroit Region need to continue ensuring that all residents have a pathway to obtaining skills and postsecondary credentials that are needed to earn good-paying jobs in the competitive and changing global economy.

 

That includes creating a “K -12 + 2” culture that establishes the expectation that all Michiganders pursue at least two years of training or education after graduating high school. Doing so will increase postsecondary educational attainment and ensure employers have the robust talent pipeline needed to thrive.

DATA CENTERS | Two-Thirds of Voters Don’t Have a Position on Data Centers as Negative Coverage is Driving Perceptions

Just 57.2% of Michigan voters have seen or heard anything about data centers, while 42.4% have not. Approximately a quarter of voters (25.3%) offered opposition to data centers, while just over 5% responded in support, and 65.7% did not offer a position.

Among those 57.2%, the highest percentage of those who have seen or heard something about data centers was college-educated voters at 70.2%. Voters in the following groups have the smallest percentages of those who have seen or heard about data centers:

  • Independent voters (49.1%)
  • Voters without a college education (47.8%)
  • Pink-collar workers (45.5%)
  • Voters with income below $30,000 (33.3%)
  • Black voters (27.2%)

Of the 25.3% of voters who expressed opposition to data centers, 36.8% cited water or environmental concerns, 16.1% said there would not be enough electricity, and 10.3% said they were specifically fighting or opposed to data centers.

Voters among the 65.7% who gave a neutral statement about data centers offered a statement about the coverage they were seeing:

  •  33.2% said they are seeing people protesting them
  • 23.9% said they are coming to Michigan and being built
  • 18.6% said that they want to come to Michigan
  • 7.1% said that they are scouting out places in Michigan
  • 4.9% said they heard them mentioned on the news
  • 3.5% said they saw that people are worried they will ruin their community

Some Voters Say Data Centers Provide Economic Benefits – Specifically, Jobs From Construction and Attraction

Voters were asked if data centers will or will not provide economic benefits to Michigan. By a 2-to-1 margin of 36.4%-19.3%, voters said they will provide economic benefits to Michigan, while 20.3% said they would have no economic impact, and 23.3% of voters did not know.

Of the 36.4% of voters who said data centers will offer economic benefits, 76% of them specifically cited job benefits.

  • 60.7% – More jobs
  • 15.1% – Better-paying tech jobs
  • 5.9% – Artificial Intelligence and tech will keep Michigan relevant
  • 4.1% – Tax revenues

Voters were asked which would be a greater benefit to their community: construction jobs or jobs that might come from the presence of a data center. By a margin of 46.6%-29.3%, voters said that jobs associated with the construction and operation of data centers would be the bigger benefit, and 24.1% of voters could not decide which would be more important.

Chamber Perspective

 

Data centers are a critical part of foundational infrastructure needed to thrive in the digital economy and are job multipliers – meaning, in addition to the construction and operations jobs they bring, they have major potential to create jobs in the surrounding economy and attract other tech companies and anchor digital infrastructure hubs. Data centers provide a 6x multiplier of indirect or induced jobs across the U.S. for every direct job they provide.

 

Northern Virginia serves as an example of the exponential value of data centers and their ability to grow the economy and build the tax base. The State of Virginia generated about $31 billion in supported economic output from data center construction and operations in 2023. In the Midwest, Ohio has relied on forward planning and private partnerships to increase its data center capacity by four times.

 

The reality is that a connected, smart phone, AI-reliant world requires massive data storage capacity, which is driving major investment worldwide. Of the $6.7 trillion of expected global investment in data center infrastructure by 2030, 40% is expected to occur in the U.S.

 

Despite growing demand, data centers are caught up in a broader trend of the politicization of economic issues such as EVs, trade policy through tariffs, and manufacturing, which continue to threaten efforts to grow Michigan’s economy as it competes with other states for investment and jobs, putting Michigan at a disproportionate risk. At least 19 communities have passed or proposed moratoriums on data centers, according to Bridge Michigan.

 

“A data center is the most fantastic economic development opportunity in the last 150 years,” said John Rakolta Jr., Chairman of Walbridge, at the 2026 Detroit Policy Conference. “If we miss out on this, Michigan will remain a backwater state for a very, very long time.”

 

Perceptions of data centers continue to be shaped by media coverage focused heavily on the controversy of data center site selection without the proper context of what data centers offer in terms of economic development. With four out of 10 voters unaware of data centers, and nearly two-thirds of voters offering neither opposition nor support, Michigan needs to have a candid, fact-based dialogue on data centers. For instance, as data centers evolve, so does technology, such as closed-loop cooling systems that reduce water consumption and water footprint.

 

“These facilities have closed-loop systems today, which means there’s a little bit of evaporation that goes off every day. These facilities, these data centers, use a fraction of the water that a normal golf course uses,” said Rakolta. “If global warming comes and if all this stuff happens, that Michigan is so well positioned because we have all this fresh water, now all of a sudden, we don’t want to use it for the highest and the best economic development that money can buy?”

 

While the state did pass important legislation to incentivize data center projects, Michigan must raise awareness about the role data centers play in building the new innovation economy, or it stands to lose out on the investment and ecosystem building that attracts technology-focused companies and jobs. As the Chamber has highlighted in previous polls, Michigan’s readiness to compete in the economy of the future hinges on residents’ willingness to embrace technological advances and do what it takes to bring that future to fruition.

 

“Populations move to where the best jobs are. In addition, technology is where our children and their children are going to migrate to,” said Rakolta. “So this is another opportunity to keep, attract, train, and teach the next generation, and have this talented pipeline for companies like Google, Open AI, and Meta to come to our state and to help us grow into the 21st-century state that we should be.”

ECONOMY | Michigan Voters Growing Increasingly Concerned About Availability of Good Jobs, Support High-Tech Jobs

Michigan’s Right Track Numbers Remain Consistent as Half Believe the State is Headed in the Right Direction

49.6% of Michigan voters believe the state is on the right track in general, compared to 37.1% who believe it is on the wrong track, and 13.3% of voters could not offer an opinion. This figure remains statistically consistent with September 2025.

Voters Equally Split on Whether Michigan’s Economy is on the Right Track

41.6% of Michigan voters say the state’s economy is on the right track, and 42.1% say it is on the wrong track. Political affiliation continues to influence these ratings as Independent voters have become slightly more pessimistic, with 50.9% saying the state’s economy is on the wrong track compared to 46.8% in September 2025. Independents saying the state’s economy is on the right track has fallen from 39.6% to 32.5% since September 2025.

Of the 42.1% of voters who say that Michigan’s economy is on the wrong track, 34.8% cited inflation and the cost of goods. Other reasons included: tax/government spending (15%), no good jobs/unemployment (14.6%), wages are too low/not paying enough (8.3%), and anti-Democrats (5.5%).

Inflation Fears Remain Consistent, While Those Expecting Inflation to Get Better is Consistently Dropping

Expectations of inflation getting worse remain high (42.6%) compared to those who expect it will get better (20.1%) and those who expect it to stay the same (34.1%). However, the number of those expecting inflation to get better has consistently dropped from 29.6% in January 2025 to 20.1% in February 2026.

While inflation has lowered and stabilized dramatically since the Fall of 2024, the increased cost of living during 2023 and 2024 is still clearly impacting consumers. Relatedly, 56.8% of voters said they see a weakening economy, while 41.8% see a growing economy. The number of those seeing a growing economy has increased from 34.4% in May 2025 to 38.2% in September 2025 to 41.8% in February 2026, similar to January 2025’s rate of 42.0%.

Fewer Than Half of Voters Think Good Jobs Are Available as Independents Drive Downward Shift and White-Collar Concern Grows

Three-quarters of voters (75.2%) said they are doing better or the same economically as this time last year, which is consistent with 2025. Overall, 24.6% said they are doing worse, while 20% are doing better, and 55.2% are doing the same.

However, concern is growing as only 49.8% of voters said good jobs are available to anyone who wants one, compared to 34.6% who said good jobs are not available. The 49.8% figure represents the lowest percentage in the six surveys in which this question has been asked since May 2024. This continues a downward trend and marks a 16.6-percentage point drop since January 2025, when 66.4% of voters said good jobs were available.

The shift downward was propelled by Independent voters, who fell to 45.6% who said good jobs were available – the lowest percentage among Independent voters on this question. Independent voters now appear more closely aligned with Democratic voters on the question of good job availability.

Based on job type, white-collar workers are growing increasingly pessimistic, falling from 48.5% who believe good jobs are available to 42.5%. In contrast, more blue-collar workers (60.7%) and pink-collar workers (57.6%) believe good jobs are available.

Despite the growing concern about the availability of good jobs, only 17.5% of workers said they were concerned about losing their jobs, compared to 82.4% who said they are not concerned. Relatedly, 23.8% of workers said they personally have had trouble finding a good-paying job, which has stayed consistent since 2025.

Overwhelming Support for Attracting High-Tech Jobs Across Party Lines, Disparities Exist Between Metro Detroit and Out-State Voters

By a margin of 90.4%-8.5%, voters said attracting high-tech jobs to states was important, and 58.6% of voters said it was very important.

There are no statistical differences across party affiliation; however, there is a sharp difference among Metro Detroit voters who think it is more important compared to out-state voters. While 87.9% of out-state voters said it was important compared to 93% of Metro Detroit voters, there is a sharp contrast among those who think it is very important (68.5% of Metro Detroit voters versus 49.5% of out-state voters) to attract high-tech jobs.

POLITICS | Voters Overwhelmingly Desire Compromise, but Have Little Faith Washington Can Deliver, and Are Split on Lansing

Voters overwhelmingly want both Republicans and Democrats to compromise to address problems facing Michigan. They also believe Lansing is more willing to compromise than Washington.

By a margin of 91% to 4.2%, voters said they want both parties in Michigan to compromise to solve the state’s problems.

By a margin of 22.3%-76.0%, voters overwhelmingly believe that Washington cannot compromise. But by a very split margin of 45.1%-50.6%, voters narrowly believe that Lansing cannot compromise.

By a margin of 14.1%-80.5%, voters said Republicans and Democrats in Washington do not want to compromise to solve our national problems. But by a margin of 45.8% “yes” to 46.1% “no,” voters were split on whether Republicans and Democrats in Lansing want to compromise to solve the state’s problems.

Voters were asked if Republicans and Democrats in Lansing were more or less willing to compromise than their counterparts in Washington. By a margin of 54.1%-9.7%, voters said Lansing was more willing to compromise than Washington, and 33.1% of voters said there was no difference between the two. But of that 54.1% that said they were more willing to compromise in Lansing, 38.6% said they were just a little more willing to compromise.

Three-way Tie Between Top Gubernatorial Candidates

Voters were asked who they would vote for if they had to choose a governor between Democrat Jocelyn Benson, Independent Mike Duggan, and Republican John James – and responses reflected a tight three-way race among registered, likely, and definite voters.

RegisteredLikelyDefinite
Jocelyn Benson27.8%28.0%30.9%
Mike Duggan29.8%30.1%30.3%
John James28.3%28.9%29.5%
Refused to Answer13.1%12.0%8.3%
Other1.0%1.0%1.0%

Note: The Detroit Regional Chamber Political Action Committee endorsed Mike Duggan in July of 2025.

Chamber Perspective

 

In 2025, the Detroit Regional Chamber Political Action Committee voted in an unprecedented action to make an early endorsement of Mike Duggan as an Independent candidate for Governor of Michigan.

 

While the Chamber, as the largest business organization in Michigan and one of the three largest such-organizations in the nation, prides itself on a reputation of bipartisan endorsements critical for Michigan, the Chamber PAC endorsement of Mike Duggan was based on three key factors: 1) The dramatic renaissance of Detroit has much to do with Duggan’s leadership – true impact – not political posturing. 2) The business community, which the Chamber represents, in the Detroit Region and across the state, is clearly expressing interest and support for the Duggan campaign. 3) The Chamber strives to serve as the “sensible center” in public policy approach.

 

Recognizing that in today’s dynamic and uncertain political environment, neither major political party represents a clear pathway to achieving compromise to move policy forward. The Chamber thinks, despite occasional policy disagreements with Mike Duggan over the years, that he represents the best chance to bring the political polarization in Michigan to common ground, which is the theme of the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference.

 

Among the top-polling Republican and Democrat candidates: John James, a respected member of Congress and a member of one of Michigan’s finest families, is a friend and a previously Chamber PAC-endorsed candidate for high office. Jocelyn Benson continues to serve with distinction as Michigan’s Secretary of State, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and through partnerships with the Chamber on several important initiatives to ensure legally eligible Michigan voters have fair access to their Constitutional right to cast a ballot.

 

But as the entity where Mike Duggan served as a Board member prior to his candidacy for Mayor of Detroit, the Detroit Regional Chamber believes that while no candidate is “perfect,” Mike Duggan represents the best opportunity to advance Michigan’s long-term interests among the other good people running for the Governor’s chair.

 

This poll represents a dramatic increase in support for Duggan’s candidacy, moving from 21.5% in the Chamber’s May 2025 Political Survey to essentially a three-way tie between Jocelyn Benson, Mike Duggan, and John James.

 

The polling results at this early stage should be enormously encouraging to the Duggan campaign. While there are minor differences in the polling results between “registered,” “likely,” and “definite” voters, and all results are within the margin of error, Duggan now polls better than the leading Democrat and Republican candidates in two of the three categories. In a hypothetical head-to-head competition with these other candidates, Duggan has a commanding lead over both candidates.

 

With roughly nine months to go before Election Day, and Duggan’s name identification across the state with room to grow, these are early, promising signs that Michiganders are prepared to elect the state’s first Independent governor.

 

American politics continues to be rooted in polarization as politicians are no longer rewarded for appealing to the middle. In fact, only 36 of the 435 – or about 8% – U.S. House elections are deemed competitive by the Cook Political Report in January 2026, a trend that has accelerated since the 1990s and is mirrored by reduced productivity of Congressional sessions.

 

In previous Chamber polling, prior to the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference, a majority of Michigan voters said they believe neither party in Michigan is producing the type of candidates who can deliver results. This new polling also confirms that Michigan voters are increasingly open to an Independent candidate for Governor.

 

Forty-five percent of U.S. adults identified as political Independents in 2025, the highest annual average Gallup has recorded. Independent identification has risen significantly over the past 15 years, registering 40% or higher in most years since 2011. In contrast, both Democratic and Republican identification fell to 27% in 2025, among the lowest levels in trends since 1988.