How America’s Safety Concerns Shifted in Six Months

When we conducted the August 2025 State of Safety survey, the national mood was uneasy. To capture what Americans were most worried about, we asked how concerned they were about different issues, including the economy, political unrest, immigration, and gun control. Whether shaped by outside influence (headlines) or internal conflict, over half of the people surveyed expressed concern about every issue except religion and gender.

Six months later, in February 2026, the landscape looks similar at first glance — but the undercurrents have shifted in meaningful ways. To see how anxiety and concerns changed in the past six months, we conducted a pulse survey.

Unsurprisingly, the economy still dominates — as noted in coverage following the State of the Union address — and worry about political unrest remains high. But beneath those constants, concern is redistributing.

Cultural and identity-linked issues are rising sharply, while some traditionally headline-driven fears, like gun control, are cooling.

What we're seeing today isn’t necessarily a calmer, less concerned America; it’s a recalibrating one.

If there is one throughline from August to February, it’s economic anxiety.

In August 2025, 36% of Americans said they were very concerned about the economy, and 78% were concerned overall (rating it 5, 6, or 7 on a 7-point scale). By February 2026, those numbers ticked up to 37.4% very concerned and 80.5% concerned overall.

While the increase is modest — roughly +2.5 points in total concern — it's still worth noting. Despite shifts in media cycles and political debates, the economy remains the central shared concern of most Americans.

Despite reassurances from official sources, economic anxiety for the average American hasn’t receded into the background — it's hardened into baseline worry.

In contrast to the economy, concern about political unrest and instability dipped slightly.

In August, 33% were very concerned, and 72% were concerned overall. By February, that fell to 32.5% very concerned and 69% concerned overall — about a 3-point decline in total concern.

This isn’t a dramatic shift, but it is notable. Political instability was one of the defining anxieties of mid-2025. The February data suggest either stabilization, normalization, or perhaps fatigue. When instability becomes a steady backdrop, it can lose its ability to provoke acute spikes in concern.

Concern about gun control presents a more stable picture. The percentage of respondents who said they were very concerned dipped slightly from 30% in August to 28.5% in February. However, total concern rose marginally from 58% to 59%.

That combination suggests that concern about gun control may be softening somewhat, but it's still a strong concern overall. It's likely that intense concern about this issue peaks during national or local events.

The most significant movement in the data belongs to immigration — the issue that drove us to conduct the pulse survey.

In August 2025, 25% of Americans were very concerned about immigration, and 52% were concerned overall. By February 2026, those numbers jumped to 30.7% very concerned and 60.6% concerned overall.

That’s an 8.6-point increase in total concern — the largest shift among all measured issues.

Unlike the economy, which remains consistently high, immigration shows acceleration. Increased immigration enforcement activities and ongoing coverage of clashes in communities like Minneapolis, Portland, OR, and Los Angeles have likely elevated its urgency in the public mind.

We first asked how concerned people were about AI (artificial intelligence) in 2025. In just six months, this area of concern shows moderate growth.

In August, 20% were very concerned about AI, and 54% were concerned overall. By February, that rose to 22.4% very concerned and 55.8% concerned overall.

These aren't explosive increases, but they indicate that concern about artificial intelligence may become a growing issue. Unlike immigration or gun control, AI concerns are less event-driven and more structural. As awareness of automation, misinformation, and technological disruption deepens, concern is likely to build gradually rather than reactively.

Some of the most surprising movements are tied to issues of culture and identity.

Concern about religion rose from 28% overall in August to nearly 35% in February — a 7-point jump. Those very concerned increased from 10% to 15%.

Similarly, concern around gender rose from 27% overall to 34%, with very concerned responses climbing from 10% to 13.5%.

These aren't the highest-ranking issues in absolute terms, but their rapid growth is meaningful. In six months, both religion and gender saw larger increases than the economy or AI.

Taken together, the data suggest three broader trends:

• Economic anxiety remains foundational. It shows up as an anchor issue, thus far resistant to fluctuation.
• Immigration has surged most dramatically. It represents the most marked upward movement in concern over the past six months.
• Cultural issues are gaining ground. Religion and gender show meaningful growth, indicating heightened sensitivity to identity-based debates.

Meanwhile, political unrest — once a dominant flashpoint — shows modest cooling.

This isn’t a story of fear escalating across the board. It’s a story of redistribution. Americans are not simply more or less anxious — they are anxious about slightly different things.

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