On behalf of E Pluribus Unum, Embold Research conducted a poll among 1,904 white, Black, and Hispanic registered voters across 13 states in order to deepen understanding of the multifaceted economic, political, and social realities of Southern voters.  This research builds on a previous poll conducted in 2023 and 2024 with a similar aim of capturing the landscape of social, economic, and political conditions in the American South.

This newest iteration of this survey continues to demonstrate that Southerners’ relationships with their communities have shifted minimally and have retained their nuance. As in previous years, strong majorities report feeling emotionally connected to, included in, and valued by their communities. However, this sense of belonging does not translate into active community involvement, with fewer than half of respondents participating in local events, clubs, or volunteer groups. Moreover, despite nearly half of Southerners having regular contact with people of different races and ethnicities in their day-to-day lives, more intimate social spheres lack that same diversity.

This research also establishes a continued pattern of economic anxiety, with particular concern for housing affordability. Across all three racial and ethnic groups, the cost of housing and rent emerges as the most prominent community challenge, and is a particularly acute issue for voters under 50, regardless of race. Moreover, when asked about their relative financial and societal standing, voters of all economic backgrounds use the basest level of poverty, or even homelessness, as the bar of comparison.

Lastly, this research reveals key differences in how Southerners understand fairness and opportunity. For example, while the values of family and equality resonate across racial and ethnic groups, Southerners are divided on which takes precedence for maintaining strong communities, largely along racial and partisan lines. Moreover, majorities of Black and Hispanic respondents feel that people who share their racial identity are being overlooked, and across all groups, most Southerners believe that some will have access to fewer opportunities in the United States going forward, and many agree that creating opportunities for one group often comes at the expense of others.

See below for full report analysis, toplines, and crosstabs.