How the AI models that free chatbot users get describe the economy of the United States and thirteen states. Five questions, each asked of every model with web search on; Better, About the same and Worse become a -100 to +100 Better-Worse index, where 0 is balanced.
active5 questions · 5 models · daily, 10% of the poll each run · to economy
Dashed lines mark runs with no data; solid numbered lines, a change in the model answering (listed under each chart). Each line ends in its model's name.
Every question, run by run
Each question's figure in each of the last 6 runs, every model together: an index, the answer given most and its share, or the average. Tinted: asked in that run; the others are carried from the run that last asked them. A muted figure rests on fewer than 10 answers, its count beside it.
Method
5 models, each asked every question 2 times per wording through its provider's API, daily, 10% of the poll's wordings each run, every wording asked once before any is asked again.
Data from to : 10 runs, 4,096 answers read.
Every range is a 95% interval. Results combine every run; a question whose answer choices changed starts fresh from the change.
No system prompt. Prompt template v1. How a reply becomes an answer is on the methodology page.
Data
Cite this poll, as of its latest run:
Communities News. (2026). How AI models describe each state's economy [Poll of AI models, results as of Nov 7, 2026]. Mind Polling. https://mindpolling.com/p/how-ai-models-describe-each-state-of-economy?asof=6ed87b54-7f46-4ca5-8306-5ec1ebe76ba3
Each view's figures download as CSV beside its table. Every reply belongs to the poll's author; the Answers view quotes a sample.
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 5 runs, to · 794 replies · 5 models
Since the run of , no model's 95% ranges have separated.
How this was asked
Wording “Base”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
About United States (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “New York”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in New York better, about the same, or worse?
About New York, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Pennsylvania”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Pennsylvania better, about the same, or worse?
About Pennsylvania, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Ohio”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Ohio better, about the same, or worse?
About Ohio, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Georgia”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Georgia better, about the same, or worse?
About Georgia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Illinois”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Illinois better, about the same, or worse?
About Illinois, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Texas”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Texas better, about the same, or worse?
About Texas, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Colorado”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Colorado better, about the same, or worse?
About Colorado, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
The numbers: latest run as a table
Model
Option
Share
95% range
Answers
Claude Haiku 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 7%
50
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
68%
54% to 79%
50
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
32%
21% to 46%
50
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 7%
50
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
84%
71% to 92%
50
Official data
Figures from their publishers, linked to this question, each as it had been published by the time shown, never as revised since. An official estimate is not a poll result, publishes no range, and the models were never shown it.
up 0.14, or 0.1% from August 2026: better (higher is better here)
Published by Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. An official estimate; no range published.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Coincident Economic Activity Index for the United States [USPHCI], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/USPHCI.
Results combine every run of this poll; a question whose answer choices change starts fresh from the change. This poll asks part of its wordings each run, so each point pools the runs that together asked every wording, and moves as each new run replaces the oldest. Download the data (CSV)
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 4 runs, to · 755 replies · 5 models
Since the run of , no model's 95% ranges have separated.
How this was asked
Wording “Base”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
About United States (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “New York”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in New York better, about the same, or worse?
About New York, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Pennsylvania”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Pennsylvania better, about the same, or worse?
About Pennsylvania, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Ohio”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Ohio better, about the same, or worse?
About Ohio, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Georgia”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Georgia better, about the same, or worse?
About Georgia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Illinois”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Illinois better, about the same, or worse?
About Illinois, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Texas”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Texas better, about the same, or worse?
About Texas, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Colorado”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Colorado better, about the same, or worse?
About Colorado, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
The numbers: latest run as a table
Model
Option
Share
95% range
Answers
Claude Haiku 5.5
Better
17%
8% to 31%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
69%
54% to 81%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
14%
7% to 28%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
2%
0% to 12%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
79%
64% to 88%
42
Official data
Figures from their publishers, linked to this question, each as it had been published by the time shown, never as revised since. An official estimate is not a poll result, publishes no range, and the models were never shown it.
down 0.1 points from September 2026: better (lower is better here)
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An official estimate; no range published.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Rate [UNRATE], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE.
Results combine every run of this poll; a question whose answer choices change starts fresh from the change. This poll asks part of its wordings each run, so each point pools the runs that together asked every wording, and moves as each new run replaces the oldest. Download the data (CSV)
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
United States · 4 runs, to · 756 replies · 5 models
Since the run of , no model's 95% ranges have separated.
How this was asked
Wording “Base”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About United States (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “New York”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in New York better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About New York, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Pennsylvania”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Pennsylvania better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Pennsylvania, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Ohio”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Ohio better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Ohio, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Georgia”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Georgia better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Georgia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Illinois”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Illinois better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Illinois, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Texas”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Texas better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Texas, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Colorado”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Colorado better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
The numbers: latest run as a table
Model
Option
Share
95% range
Answers
Claude Haiku 5.5
Better
5%
1% to 16%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
45%
31% to 60%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
50%
36% to 64%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 8%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
0%
0% to 8%
42
Official data
Figures from their publishers, linked to this question, each as it had been published by the time shown, never as revised since. An official estimate is not a poll result, publishes no range, and the models were never shown it.
up 2.17, or 0.6% from August 2026: worse (lower is better here)
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An official estimate; no range published.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average [CPIAUCSL], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CPIAUCSL.
up 11.84, or 3.4% from a year earlier (September 2025), as this series is not seasonally adjusted: worse (lower is better here)
Results combine every run of this poll; a question whose answer choices change starts fresh from the change. This poll asks part of its wordings each run, so each point pools the runs that together asked every wording, and moves as each new run replaces the oldest. Download the data (CSV)
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 4 runs, to · 755 replies · 5 models
Since the run of , no model's 95% ranges have separated.
How this was asked
Wording “Base”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
About United States (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “New York”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in New York better, about the same, or worse?
About New York, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Pennsylvania”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Pennsylvania better, about the same, or worse?
About Pennsylvania, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Ohio”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Ohio better, about the same, or worse?
About Ohio, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Georgia”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Georgia better, about the same, or worse?
About Georgia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Illinois”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Illinois better, about the same, or worse?
About Illinois, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Texas”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Texas better, about the same, or worse?
About Texas, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Colorado”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Colorado better, about the same, or worse?
About Colorado, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
The numbers: latest run as a table
Model
Option
Share
95% range
Answers
Claude Haiku 5.5
Better
2%
0% to 12%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
62%
47% to 75%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
36%
23% to 51%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
12%
5% to 25%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
57%
42% to 71%
42
Official data
Figures from their publishers, linked to this question, each as it had been published by the time shown, never as revised since. An official estimate is not a poll result, publishes no range, and the models were never shown it.
down 0.1 points from the week of Oct 1, 2026: better (lower is better here)
Published by Freddie Mac. An official estimate; no range published.
Freddie Mac, 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States [MORTGAGE30US], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US.
Results combine every run of this poll; a question whose answer choices change starts fresh from the change. This poll asks part of its wordings each run, so each point pools the runs that together asked every wording, and moves as each new run replaces the oldest. Download the data (CSV)
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 6 runs, to · 856 replies · 5 models
Since the run of , no model's 95% ranges have separated.
How this was asked
Wording “Base”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
About United States (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “New York”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in New York better, about the same, or worse?
About New York, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Pennsylvania”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Pennsylvania better, about the same, or worse?
About Pennsylvania, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Ohio”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Ohio better, about the same, or worse?
About Ohio, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Georgia”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Georgia better, about the same, or worse?
About Georgia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Illinois”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Illinois better, about the same, or worse?
About Illinois, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Texas”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Texas better, about the same, or worse?
About Texas, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Colorado”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Colorado better, about the same, or worse?
About Colorado, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
The numbers: latest run as a table
Model
Option
Share
95% range
Answers
Claude Haiku 5.5
Better
29%
19% to 41%
62
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
50%
38% to 62%
62
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
21%
13% to 33%
62
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
3%
1% to 11%
62
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
89%
78% to 94%
62
Official data
Figures from their publishers, linked to this question, each as it had been published by the time shown, never as revised since. An official estimate is not a poll result, publishes no range, and the models were never shown it.
up $0.14, or 0.4% from September 2026: better (higher is better here)
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An official estimate; no range published.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private [CES0500000003], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES0500000003.
up $0.8, or 1.9% from a year earlier (September 2025), as this series is not seasonally adjusted: better (higher is better here)
Results combine every run of this poll; a question whose answer choices change starts fresh from the change. This poll asks part of its wordings each run, so each point pools the runs that together asked every wording, and moves as each new run replaces the oldest. Download the data (CSV)
How AI models describe each state's economy | Mind Polling
Wording “California”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in California better, about the same, or worse?
About California, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Alaska”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Alaska better, about the same, or worse?
About Alaska, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Massachusetts”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Massachusetts better, about the same, or worse?
About Massachusetts, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Virginia”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Virginia better, about the same, or worse?
About Virginia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Missouri”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Missouri better, about the same, or worse?
About Missouri, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Minnesota”
Compared with a month ago, are economic conditions for people living in Minnesota better, about the same, or worse?
About Minnesota, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Answers offered, shuffled on every call
Better · About the same · Worse
Asked of
Claude Haiku 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, Grok 4.5: 2 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Worse
16%
8% to 29%
50
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
20%
11% to 33%
50
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
24%
14% to 37%
50
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
56%
42% to 69%
50
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
0%
0% to 7%
50
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
74%
60% to 84%
50
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
26%
16% to 40%
50
Grok 4.5
Better
2%
0% to 10%
50
Grok 4.5
About the same
38%
26% to 52%
50
Grok 4.5
Worse
60%
46% to 72%
50
178.25, September 2026
up 0.17, or 0.1% from August 2026: better (higher is better here)
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in California better, about the same, or worse?
About California, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Alaska”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Alaska better, about the same, or worse?
About Alaska, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Massachusetts”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Massachusetts better, about the same, or worse?
About Massachusetts, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Virginia”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Virginia better, about the same, or worse?
About Virginia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Missouri”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Missouri better, about the same, or worse?
About Missouri, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Minnesota”
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in Minnesota better, about the same, or worse?
About Minnesota, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Answers offered, shuffled on every call
Better · About the same · Worse
Asked of
Claude Haiku 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, Grok 4.5: 2 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Worse
19%
10% to 33%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
45%
31% to 60%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
19%
10% to 33%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
36%
23% to 51%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
17%
8% to 31%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
76%
61% to 87%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
7%
2% to 19%
42
Grok 4.5
Better
5%
1% to 16%
42
Grok 4.5
About the same
57%
42% to 71%
42
Grok 4.5
Worse
38%
25% to 53%
42
up 0.1 points from August 2026: worse (lower is better here)
About Colorado, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “California”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in California better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About California, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Alaska”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Alaska better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Alaska, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Massachusetts”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Massachusetts better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Massachusetts, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Virginia”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Virginia better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Virginia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Missouri”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Missouri better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Missouri, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Minnesota”
Compared with a month ago, are everyday prices for people living in Minnesota better, about the same, or worse for their household budgets?
About Minnesota, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Answers offered, shuffled on every call
Better · About the same · Worse
Asked of
Claude Haiku 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, Grok 4.5: 2 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in California better, about the same, or worse?
About California, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Alaska”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Alaska better, about the same, or worse?
About Alaska, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Massachusetts”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Massachusetts better, about the same, or worse?
About Massachusetts, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Virginia”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Virginia better, about the same, or worse?
About Virginia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Missouri”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Missouri better, about the same, or worse?
About Missouri, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Minnesota”
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in Minnesota better, about the same, or worse?
About Minnesota, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Answers offered, shuffled on every call
Better · About the same · Worse
Asked of
Claude Haiku 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, Grok 4.5: 2 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Worse
31%
19% to 46%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
12%
5% to 25%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
10%
4% to 22%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
79%
64% to 88%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
17%
8% to 31%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
43%
29% to 58%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
40%
27% to 56%
42
Grok 4.5
Better
14%
7% to 28%
42
Grok 4.5
About the same
26%
15% to 41%
42
Grok 4.5
Worse
60%
44% to 73%
42
Wording “California”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in California better, about the same, or worse?
About California, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Alaska”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Alaska better, about the same, or worse?
About Alaska, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Massachusetts”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Massachusetts better, about the same, or worse?
About Massachusetts, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Virginia”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Virginia better, about the same, or worse?
About Virginia, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Missouri”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Missouri better, about the same, or worse?
About Missouri, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Wording “Minnesota”
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in Minnesota better, about the same, or worse?
About Minnesota, USA (models are not told the place; the wording names it)
Answers offered, shuffled on every call
Better · About the same · Worse
Asked of
Claude Haiku 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5, GPT-5.6 Luna, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, Grok 4.5: 2 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.