2026 Cambridge poll results
Cambridge agrees: build more homes
A new Embold Research survey of 442 Cambridge voters finds that housing affordability is a top priority, and that nearly two in three voters support the Multifamily Housing Ordinance. Support is strongest among young people and renters.
Download the results:
- 84%say housing affordability should be a top priority for the City Council
- 64%support the Multifamily Housing Ordinance
- 8 in 10say they or someone close to them has been hit by Cambridge's high housing costs
Housing affordability needs to be a top priority
More than eight in ten Cambridge voters (84%) say housing affordability should be the "single top priority" or "one of the top priorities" for the City Council. That view holds across the city. It's strongest among voters under 35 (94%), and almost every renter (96%) agrees.
The shortage is taking a personal toll
Eight in ten voters say they or someone close to them has been affected by the cost or availability of housing in Cambridge. Respondents included academics, young renters who don't expect to ever buy, and families afraid of being priced out.
Many say the cost of housing is the main reason they're thinking about leaving Cambridge, and that they've watched others leave for the same reason.
- "Basically everyone I know struggles to pay rent & live a fulfilled life."Cambridge voter
- "Finding housing in Cambridge has been my single biggest stressor both financially and emotionally at any time. I have had to move due to the difficulty of finding affordable housing."Cambridge voter
- "It is by far the most stressful factor in my life and rent going up again this September has caused me to seriously consider moving out of Cambridge."Cambridge voter
- "If it wasn't for income restricted apartment buildings I wouldn't be able to live here."Cambridge voter
- "I feel that I contribute meaningfully to this community as a citizen and neighbor, but my long-term ability to live in Cambridge is jeopardized by the lack of affordable rental and home ownership."Cambridge voter
- "We are tenured academics… Our children are in their 20s and have told us already that they cannot imagine ever being able to live (buying or renting) in the neighborhood where they have grown up."Cambridge voter
Most voters back the Multifamily Housing Ordinance
Nearly two in three voters (64%) support the ordinance's expansion of the kinds of homes that can be built in Cambridge. Support is 86% among voters aged 18 to 34, 66% among voters aged 35 to 49, and 79% among renters. Opposition is concentrated among voters 65 and older (57%) and homeowners (52%).
The Council should listen to voters
Cambridge voters want more homes they can afford, and they support the ordinance that allows those homes to be built. The Council is now weighing changes to that ordinance. Tell them what most of the city already thinks!
About the poll
Embold Research conducted the poll online from September 28 to October 4, 2026, surveying 442 registered voters in Cambridge, MA using Dynamic Online Sampling. Results were weighted by age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, and 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±4.9 points. Numbers may not add to 100 because of rounding. Full methodology statement.