- Just 30% of Americans believe advances in AI will help boost the economy and help more people afford homes, according to a recent Redfin survey. The majority of both Democrats and Republicans believe AI will make it harder to afford homes.
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans say tariffs will cause inflation and keep interest rates high, while 31% say tariffs will boost the economy.
- Half believe less immigration will result in fewer construction workers and fewer new homes, hurting housing affordability, while 35% believe less immigration will reduce demand for housing and help affordability.
- Nearly half say loosening zoning rules will make homes more affordable.
Roughly three in five (59%) U.S. residents believe advances in artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs and make it harder for people to afford homes, according to a recent Redfin survey.
Half as many people (30%) believe the opposite, that advances in AI will help boost the U.S. economy and help more people afford homes.
This report is based on a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. Please see the end of this report for more on methodology.
AI has dominated headlines as rapid advances stoke fears that it could automate a significant share of white-collar jobs. Some estimates suggest up to 30% of U.S. jobs could be displaced, with 80% of workers affected in some way, fueling anxiety about income stability. Uncertainty around the future of the labor market could also contribute to volatile mortgage rates, adding another hurdle for prospective homebuyers.
So far, that worst-case scenario isn’t reflected in the data. But cracks are starting to show: February’s jobs report was weaker than expected; some commentators say that’s partly due to some companies cutting jobs in favor of investing in AI. Still, the unemployment rate remains fairly low.
Democrats, Republicans Agree That AI Could Hurt Housing Affordability
Broken down by political party, just over three in five (63%) Democrats say advances in AI will eliminate jobs and make it harder to afford homes. Just under three in five (57%) Republicans say the same thing.
Most Americans Say Tariffs Will Keep Inflation and Rates High
Redfin also asked how other factors are impacting how people think about housing affordability.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of U.S. residents believe tariffs will cause inflation and keep interest rates high. Three in 10 (31%) say tariffs will help boost the U.S. economy, helping more people afford to buy homes.
President Trump’s tariffs have unsettled would-be homebuyers since he introduced them last year. An April 2025 Redfin survey found 24% of Americans canceled plans for a major purchase like a home or car because of tariffs, and 32% delayed them. Policy changes have added to the uncertainty. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the tariffs in late February, the president quickly reinstated new ones through a different mechanism.
Americans Are Split on Immigration’s Impact on Housing
We also asked people how rules and regulations around immigration will help or hurt housing affordability:
- More than half (52%) say less immigration will result in fewer construction workers and fewer new homes, driving up home prices.
- On the flip side, 35% say less immigration will reduce demand for housing, making it more affordable.
President Trump has pursued stricter immigration policies centered on tightening border security, expanding deportations and reducing certain legal immigration pathways.
When asked about zoning, nearly half (47%) of U.S. residents say less restrictive rules around building and zoning will help make homes more affordable, while 19% disagree with that sentiment.
Many state and local politicians support loosening zoning laws to make it easier to build homes, including the governors of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Some lawmakers oppose such a change, arguing it would undermine neighborhood character and allow taller, denser housing.
Democrats and Republicans differ on beliefs about how tariffs, immigration and zoning laws will impact housing affordability. For instance, 79% of Democrats say tariffs will cause inflation and keep interest rates high, compared to 51% of Republicans. And Republicans are far more likely to believe that less immigration will ultimately make housing more affordable.
Methodology
The survey results in this report are from a Redfin-commissioned survey conducted by Ipsos in November 2025, fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents. The results for this combined group of survey respondents have a credibility interval of +/-1.9 percentage points.
This report focuses on the question: “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements in relation to recent trends in policy and the economy that could affect the housing market?” It lists seven statements, listed in the charts above.
Here’s the full survey questionnaire for questions referenced in this report.
