Young voters may be impacted more than most by the economy – especially young adults trying to get into the housing market.
Atlanta’s housing market is a juggernaut – great for sellers and real estate agents, less great for would-be first-time buyers like Tom Burke.
"To buy my own home? Man, so far, in my life, it seems like an unpursuable goal. In the sense that, (prices have) just gone through the roof," said Burke as he was visiting Piedmont Park on Wednesday.
Real estate tracking sites say the median price of homes in the Atlanta area is now about $420,000 – up by about $20,000 over the last year – an increase of about 5% – which is a bit higher than the rate of inflation.
As the pandemic cooled off, inflation soared worldwide. Republicans blame Democrat Joe Biden. Democrat Kamala Harris vowed to fight it in her Atlanta visit Tuesday.
"While inflation is down and wages are up, prices are still too high. You know it, and I know it," Harris told her audience at Georgia State University. "On day one, I'll take on price gouging and bring down costs."
Harris said young people need to be able to build wealth and buy homes. Republicans, including Donald Trump, agree on the goal while blaming Democrats for the problem.
It’s an issue and a demographic that could define the election, said Georgia Republican chairman Josh McKoon.
"Voters in the 18 to 30 demographic, the last three and half years have not been very good for people starting out trying to buy a home or start a family," McKoon said.
Yet younger voters have traditionally leaned more liberal than their older counterparts.
Burke said neither party is to blame for higher home prices, calling the problem "multifaceted" and a product of the free market.