Americans Feel the Strain: 81% Worry About Tariffs, 70% About Housing Market Crash

As concerns about every surveyed economic issue have increased over the past six months, a staggering 95% of Americans are worried about 2025 price increases.

ST. LOUIS, March 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- 81% of Americans are worried about tariffs and potential trade wars, while 70% fear an impending housing market crash, according to a new report from Clever Real Estate, a St. Louis-based real estate company.

The survey of 1,000 Americans found that 63% don't think the current U.S. government is taking the right actions to address economic concerns.

Just 1 in 4 Americans (26%) feel economically better off than they were six months ago, and just a third (34%) expect to be better off in six months than they are today.

A whopping three-quarters of Americans (74%) believe inflation will worsen over the next year, and 70% are more worried about inflation than in September 2024. Just 39% support President Trump's handling of the issue.

72% believe tariffs will hurt the U.S. economy, as more than half of Americans (58%) are cutting non-essential spending in anticipation of the 2025 economic climate. Meanwhile, roughly a third (32%) say they've stockpiled resources like canned food or first aid supplies.

Over half (54%) would prefer to buy now to avoid future price hikes, but 32% of those who planned a major purchase this year say they're now delaying it — including 1 in 4 (22%) who planned to buy a home and 1 in 8 (13%) who planned to sell a home.

While 70% worry about a housing market crash, 32% fear they won't be able to afford housing payments as a result of the 2025 economy.

Although 78% generally favor cutting government spending, just 46% support the current administration's approach. Notably, fewer than half of respondents (44%) support Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Three-quarters of Americans (75%) say cuts to government assistance programs would directly impact them or their families, and 1 in 10 (11%) would even fear becoming homeless.

A startling 85% say they're worried about Social Security benefit changes — the most of any government program.

Two-thirds of Americans (68%) worry about losing rights or equality, while 57% support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. As a result, 39% have decreased spending at businesses whose policies don't align with their views.

Overall, 46% think people are underreacting to the Trump administration's potential impact on their finances, compared to just 30% who think people are overreacting.

Read the full report at: https://listwithclever.com/research/consumer-sentiment-2025

About Clever
Clever Real Estate is a technology company that produces educational real estate content reaching over 10 million readers annually, and its nationwide agent matching service has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 3,400+ customer reviews. Since launching in 2017, Clever has reached $12.4 billion in real estate sold, matched 155,000+ customers with realtors, and saved consumers over $180 million on commission fees. Clever's network spans 16,000 agents across all 50 states.

Please contact Nicole Lehman at [email protected] with any questions or to arrange an interview.

CONTACT: 
Nicole Lehman
Clever Real Estate
[email protected]
724-719-0406

SOURCE Clever Real Estate