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 · 4 models in the latest run, 5 across the poll · 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 run, every model together: an index, the answer given most and its share, or the average. A muted figure rests on fewer than 10 answers, its count beside it.
Question
Method
4 models in the latest run, 5 across the poll, 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 5, 2026]. Mind Polling. https://mindpolling.com/p/how-ai-models-describe-each-state-of-economy?asof=f942b502-f994-4db8-bbfb-1243ce9db74e
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 · 1 run, · 168 replies · 4 models
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 8%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
74%
59% to 85%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
26%
15% to 41%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 8%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
88%
75% to 95%
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 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.
Compared with a month ago, are job prospects for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 1 run, · 168 replies · 4 models
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
12%
5% to 25%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
79%
64% to 88%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
10%
4% to 22%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
2%
0% to 12%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
69%
54% to 81%
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 0.1 points 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, Unemployment Rate [UNRATE], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNRATE.
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 · 1 run, · 168 replies · 4 models
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
7%
2% to 19%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
60%
44% to 73%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
33%
21% to 48%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 8%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
19%
10% to 33%
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.
Compared with a month ago, is housing affordability for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 1 run, · 167 replies · 4 models
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
15%
7% to 28%
41
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
51%
36% to 66%
41
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
34%
22% to 49%
41
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
5%
1% to 16%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
62%
47% to 75%
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 0.21 points from the week of Sep 24, 2026: worse (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.
Compared with a month ago, are pay and incomes for people living in the United States better, about the same, or worse?
United States · 1 run, · 168 replies · 4 models
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
31%
19% to 46%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
About the same
50%
36% to 64%
42
Claude Haiku 5.5
Worse
19%
10% to 33%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
Better
0%
0% to 8%
42
Claude Sonnet 5.5
About the same
100%
92% to 100%
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 $0.05, or 0.1% from August 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.
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: 3 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
12%
5% to 25%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
21%
12% to 36%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
21%
12% to 36%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
57%
42% to 71%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
2%
0% to 12%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
69%
54% to 81%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
29%
17% to 44%
42
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: 3 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
29%
17% to 44%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
48%
33% to 62%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
17%
8% to 31%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
36%
23% to 51%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
12%
5% to 25%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
74%
59% to 85%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
14%
7% to 28%
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: 3 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: 3 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
33%
21% to 48%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Better
5%
1% to 16%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
About the same
7%
2% to 19%
42
GPT-5.6 Luna
Worse
88%
75% to 95%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Better
19%
10% to 33%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
About the same
38%
25% to 53%
42
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
Worse
43%
29% to 58%
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: 3 times per wording each run, through each provider's API. Web search on for every model, up to 1 search per answer.