DBusiness
February 23, 2026
Tim Kennan
A new statewide poll, the results of which were released today by the Detroit Regional Chamber, shows Michigan voters are unaware of their state’s poor economic and education rankings, compared to other states.
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.
“On nearly every metric we tested, Michigan voters believe the state is doing average against the other states,” says Richard Czuba, president of The Glengariff Group Inc., which conducted the poll for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “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.”
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.
“In many ways, our house is on fire,” says Sandy K. Baruah, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber. “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.”
View the full results of the poll here.
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:
- Percentage of population with a college degree: 33rd
- Student performance in reading: 44th
- Average income per person: 40th
- Attracting new businesses and jobs: N/A
- Attracting high-technology jobs: 45th
- Unemployment rate: 45th
According to the Chamber’s report, no other state has fallen as hard or as fast in per capita income and educational performance as has Michigan. The state’s poor performance on these key metrics should serve as a “wake-up call for business leaders, lawmakers, and voters.”
“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,” according to the report.
Poll results show two-thirds of voters don’t have a position on data centers as negative coverage is driving perceptions. Just 57.2 percent of Michigan voters have seen or heard anything about data centers, while 42.4 percent have not. Approximately a quarter of voters (25.3 percent) offered opposition to data centers, while just more than 5 percent responded in support, and 65.7 percent did not offer a position.
“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,” says the Chamber. “Data centers provide a 6x multiplier of indirect or induced jobs across the U.S. for every direct job they provide.”
Poll results reveal that Michigan voters are growing increasingly concerned about the availability of good jobs and support high-tech jobs. Almost half (49.6 percent) of Michigan voters believe the state is on the right track in general, compared to 37.1 percent who believe it is on the wrong track, and 13.3 percent of voters could not offer an opinion. This figure remains statistically consistent with September 2025.
Voters are split on whether the state’s economy is on the right track with 41.6 percent saying it is on the right track and 42.1 percent saying it’s on the wrong track. Political affiliation continues to influence these ratings as Independent voters have become slightly more pessimistic, with 50.9 percent saying the state’s economy is on the wrong track compared to 46.8 percent in September 2025. Independents saying the state’s economy is on the right track has fallen from 39.6 percent to 32.5 percent since September 2025.
Of the 42.1 percent of voters who say that Michigan’s economy is on the wrong track, 34.8 percent cited inflation and the cost of goods. Other reasons included: tax/government spending (15 percent), no good jobs/unemployment (14.6 percent), wages are too low/not paying enough (8.3 percent), and anti-Democrats (5.5 percent).
Three-quarters of voters (75.2 percent) say they are doing better or the same economically as this time last year, which is consistent with 2025. Overall, 24.6 percent said they are doing worse, while 20 percent are doing better, and 55.2 percent are doing the same.
Concern, however, is growing as only 49.8 percent of voters said good jobs are available to anyone who wants one, compared to 34.6 percent who said good jobs are not available. The 49.8 percent 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 percent of voters said good jobs were available.
Poll participants showed “overwhelming support” for attracting high-tech jobs to the state.
By a margin of 90.4 percent to 8.5 percent, voters say attracting high-tech jobs to states was important, and 58.6 percent of voters said it was very important.
On the political front, 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.
For more information, visit detroitchamber.com.