Rising costs of groceries, electricity, and other household expenses are front of mind for many Marylanders, according to a new poll by the UMBC Institute of Politics. One-third of respondents said cost of living, affordability, or prices were the most important issue facing Maryland. “ Affordability is the defining concern for Marylanders right now and over the past year. Cost-of-living issues top the list of what residents say matters most, and roughly seven in ten say that groceries, gasoline, and electric bills are less affordable now than they were a year ago,” said Mileah Kromer, Director of the UMBC Institute of Politics, in a statement. “The reaction to opening their monthly electric bill is a mix of anger, concern, and frustration, along with a clear awareness that they are paying more for the same amount of energy.”  Other top issues facing the state according to Marylanders include taxes, spending, or state budget (15% of respondents); politicians, Trump, federal government, or state government (15%); economy or jobs (8%); energy or utility costs (6%); crime, public safety, or substance abuse (6%). The pollsters noted that the “energy or utility costs” category was attributed to residents who specifically mentioned their electric bill or overall energy and utilities costs. These responses could have been alternatively classified under the “cost of living, affordability, or prices” category. Respondents were asked whether various household expenses had become less affordable, more affordable, or about the same over the past year. All expenses had become less affordable for a majority of Marylanders. Topping the list were groceries, with 72% of residents saying these were less affordable than a year ago. That was followed closely by gasoline (71% said it had become less affordable) and electricity bills (69%). Other household expenses included housing (65%); entertainment and recreation activities (59%); and healthcare, including prescription drugs and medications (57%). Asked specifically to describe their household electricity bill over the past few months, more than one-third of respondents (35%) noted high or rising costs. The pollsters also found 17% said their electricity costs were “manageable, okay, or not concerning”; 13% expressed anger, outrage, or other strong negative emotions; and 13% expressed worry, concern, frustration or stress. Three in five Marylanders said they are “very” or “extremely” worried about the future of the county. Almost one-third expressed the same level of concern for the safety of their community. Other things respondents said they are “very” or “extremely” worried about: the well-being of their family (29%); their physical health (23%); their mental health (21%); and the quality of their personal relationships (15%). ...read more read less