New Jersey residents are noticing higher prices at the store. And according to a new Stockton University poll, most of them place the blame on Trump’s tariffs.
Two-thirds of New Jersey voters think tariffs have led to higher prices. The poll surveyed 700 New Jersey voters from February 6-16 and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7%, according to the methodology.
Partisan Divide Drives Opinion
The findings reveal a stark divide amongst party lines.
Among Democrats, 93% say tariffs have increased prices. 62% of Independents agree.
Republican voters sing a different tune. Only 22% say tariffs have led to higher costs—while 51% say tariffs have had no effect, and nearly 1 in 5 say they’ve actually reduced prices.
“Tariffs have long been used by governments to protect domestic industries, but they often come with trade-offs like higher consumer prices and more expensive inputs for domestic industries,” said Tina Zappile, director of the Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
What’s Driving the Higher Prices?
Tariffs are a tax on imported goods—the cost increase typically gets passed along to consumers at checkout.
The Trump administration has implemented sweeping tariffs as a pillar of its economic agenda, which was dealt a blow in February when the Supreme Court struck down some of them.
The court ruled that the President cannot use the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose broad tariffs, and that regulating commerce during an emergency doesn’t include the power to tax imports. Instead, Congress holds that power.
The Trump administration quickly pivoted to a different law, imposing a 10% universal tariff that can remain in place for 150 days before Congressional approval is required.
For New Jersey families already feeling squeezed, the impact is immediate and tangible.
“New Jersey consumers recognize that trade policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” said Alyssa Maurice, assistant director of the Hughes Center. “For most voters, tariffs translate directly into higher costs at checkout.”
Other Areas Polled
The poll also found broader concerns about America’s role in the world at large.
A majority of New Jersey voters (52%) believe the United States has lost ground globally over the past decade—suggesting the country is less powerful as a world leader compared to 10 years ago.
That’s a shift from 2016, when only 45% held that view.
The biggest change came among Democrats: in 2016, 44% said U.S. standing remained unchanged, but now 79% say America has lost standing globally. Republicans flipped the opposite direction—from 65% saying the U.S. had weakened to 68% now saying it’s gained standing.
The polling again reveals partisan splits.
The Effects Are Noticeable
For New Jersey voters, tariffs aren’t an abstract economic policy—they’re a direct hit to household budgets in a state that is already increasingly expensive to live in.
Two-thirds of the state’s voters are feeling the heat of tariffs, and for most, higher prices at the store are the clearest sign that trade policy has an effect on their everyday lives.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.