Michigan Advance
February 23, 2026
Ben Solis
Voter misconceptions on how well Michigan compares to other states should be seen as a warning flag for the state’s business, education and government leaders, according to new polling data from the Detroit Regional Chamber released Monday.
The Chamber’s latest statewide poll asked 600 registered voters about their thoughts on the state’s economy, AI data centers, the ability of Washington and Lansing to compromise, and the race to be Michigan’s next governor. The poll was conducted by the Glengariff Group between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2.
Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, said that in many ways, Michigan’s “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,” Baruah said in a statement. “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.”
From the Chamber’s 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,” the Chamber said in a news release on Monday. “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.”