---
title: "Nanos poll: Toronto voters say traffic congestion is the biggest problem in the city"
description: "A Nanos Research poll conducted September 30 to October 4, 2026, found that 26% of Toronto voters name traffic as the single biggest quality-of-life problem in the city. Housing costs came second at 18%, followed by public safety at 16%."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/nanos-research-poll-voter-issues-october-8"
last_updated: "2026-10-10T04:10:29.889Z"
---

Traffic congestion is the top quality-of-life concern for Toronto voters, named by 26% of respondents in a Nanos Research poll published October 8 by CP24. The poll of 755 randomly selected Toronto residents ran from September 30 to October 4, 2026, and has a margin of error of ±3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Housing costs came second, named by 18% of respondents. Public safety or crime was third at 16%, property taxes fourth at 12%, and grocery costs fifth at 9%.

Nanos chief data scientist Nik Nanos said the traffic result has implications beyond commuting. He said: "How are we supposed to attract investment into Toronto if traffic is the number one thing people know?"

**Younger voters named housing first**

Among Gen Z voters and younger millennials, 31% said housing costs were their top concern, compared to 18% in the overall sample. For that age group, housing ranked ahead of traffic as the top issue.

Close to three-quarters of all voters said the city had become less affordable compared to four years ago. Only 3% said affordability had improved.

**A geographic split on property taxes**

The poll found different views on taxes depending on where voters live. In Scarborough, 57% said they preferred low property tax increases even if city services were reduced. In downtown Toronto and East York, 54.2% said they supported tax increases to maintain current services. Property taxes were named as the top quality-of-life problem by 12% of respondents city-wide.

**What the candidates said**

CP24 asked both mayoral candidates about the results. [Olivia Chow](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow), responding to the traffic finding, said voters should live closer to their jobs so they spend less time commuting. [Brad Bradford](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford) focused on the city's record, saying: "You've had three years on the job, and you have not got the job."

Voters can cast a ballot in advance from October 6 to October 11 at City of Toronto voting locations. Election day is October 26, 2026. The full mayoral candidate list is at /on/toronto-2026/candidates#mayor.

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