Massachusetts residents are feeling the financial pinch. A new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll finds record levels of concern over personal finances, with housing, the economy, and the cost of living topping the list of worries.

The survey, conducted between Oct. 21 and Oct. 29 with 800 respondents and a 4.1% margin of error, shows growing financial strain among Massachusetts residents.

Since February, the share of people rating their own finances as “poor” has risen from 15% to 21%—the highest level since the survey began in 2021. Those describing their finances as “fair” dropped from 44% in February to 37% in October.

Only 4% of respondents said their finances were “excellent,” while 38% described them as “good.”

“In the state, people’s minds are on their money and their money is on their

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