“Forty-one percent of officials report substantial negative effects of polarization in their own communities, an eleven-point rise over September, 2025 and the largest single-survey shift the series has recorded,” according to the fourth in a series of surveys done by the nonprofit research organization, CivicPulse, and commissioned by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation.

 The October 2026 report that came from this survey, titled “Polarization in America: Survey of Local Government,” described polarization as “divisions between more liberal and more conservative individuals or groups.”

According to the survey of 1,224 officials in local government, “Officials describe constituents arriving at meetings angrier than before, national talking points entering local forums, and decisions made at higher levels that constrain local governments. Nearly seven in ten expect conditions to worsen further before the midterms.” The survey included members of city councils, county commissions and school boards.

There were significant differences between the topics found to be polarizing at the national level (like immigration, foreign affairs and elections) and those that are of concern in the localities themselves. According to the study, “The distance between the two remains large. Local officials are still less than half as likely to report substantial harm in their own communities (41%) as in the country as a whole (91%). But the gap has narrowed from 59 points to 50.”

 A few of the takeaways from the research into polarization at the local level:

• “In their own communities, officials rank cost of living first at 58%, taxes second at 54%, and housing third at 41%. Officials describe the increased division stemming from budget constraints of both residents and the local government.”

• “Nearly half (44%) of officials say immigration is becoming more polarizing locally as the midterms approach. They describe it shifting from a national issue to something they now deal with directly, with raised tension in public meetings about enforcement activity and service capacity.”

• Two topics that local governments “own operationally”, public safety and homelessness, show less polarization at 28% and 19%. While these areas “can be challenging to manage, officials and residents find common ground due to the concrete nature of the work,” according to the survey.

One of the most captivating sections of this report was a series of quotes from people interviewed, about aspects of polarization in their community. Following are a half a dozen that were particularly illuminating:

1. “Our local council tends to stay clear of the national issues. Local issues tend to be less divisive and easier to find common ground…. State and National are on a whole other level of divisiveness and vitriol—which means working for the people is harder.” — Council member, mid-sized city in Washington. 

   
   

2. “Polarization in national politics is making people angry and mean at the local level. Locals have started to attend local council meetings to say very unpleasant things to Councilmembers and other residents. This has never happened before this year.” — Mayor, small city in California. 

   
   

3. “The issues brought on by the midterm elections percolate to people's everyday conversations. This shapes their view of local governance and the community. When talking to people, national (or state) issues become assigned to local governance, even when the issue is not in the purview of local governance.” — Trustee, mid-sized municipality in Illinois. 

   
   

4. “As the elections get closer, media and particularly social media are impacting peoples' emotions. As divisive political ads ramp up, I only see this worsening.” — School board member, mid-sized district in Washington

   
   

5. “The increase in cost of living is very concerning for our rural community. We have an added impact of being a tourist destination, which made the taxes go up as all the housing is getting bought up by rental companies and our kids can't afford to live here.” — Chairman, Board of Trustees, small township in Ohio

   
   

6. “Taxes are starting to become a huge issue. Along with that, because we are a rural community, the pressure to have renewable energy sited here is polarizing just about everyone and in some cases dividing families.” — Supervisor, small municipality in Wisconsin

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