Morning Consult & American City Business Journals Debut First-Ever Metropolitan Consumer Sentiment Index

NEW YORK — April 15, 2025 — Morning Consult, in partnership with American City Business Journals, today launched the Metropolitan Consumer Sentiment Index (MCSI) – a new quarterly dataset that tracks shifts in consumer confidence across 46 U.S. metropolitan areas.

This first-of-its-kind local index offers unprecedented visibility into how major economic, political, and policy changes are shaping consumer confidence at the metro level — where economic decisions are actually made and felt. While traditional consumer sentiment metrics have focused on national trends, the MCSI gives business leaders, policymakers, and local institutions a real-time window into the financial mindset of consumers in their own backyards.

“Helping business leaders make informed decisions is at the heart of ACBJ’s mission. Whether they are pursuing a growth opportunity or trying to gauge how a new policy is affecting customers, this index will give our readers an edge,” said Whitney Shaw, CEO at American City Business Journals.  

Powered by Morning Consult’s always-on survey engine, which conducts more than 5,000 daily interviews nationwide, the MCSI provides statistically robust, metro-specific insights based on a stratified sampling model that ensures representation across key demographics within each metropolitan statistical area (MSA).

To bring these insights directly to local business leaders, ACBJ will publish coverage of MCSI findings across all 40+ of its regional business publications, highlighting the local dynamics and implications for each metro’s economy.

“Understanding how people feel about their personal finances and the local economy is more important than ever,” said John Leer, Chief Economist at Morning Consult. “With the MCSI, we’re breaking new ground by bringing high-frequency, local-level sentiment tracking to the forefront — enabling city-level leaders to act with the same level of insight as national policymakers.”

Key Takeaways from Q1 2025:

Consumers across the country expressed vastly different views of the country’s economic and financial status and future prospects in the first quarter of 2025 on the heels of President Trump’s election and inauguration and in the midst of an ongoing and highly uncertain trade war.

• As of the end of the first quarter, metro areas across the South and Midwest registered the highest levels of consumer sentiment. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont MSA was the lone MSA not in the South or Midwest to make the top 10. On the other hand, the bottom 10 MSAs all came from the Northeast, Midwest and West.
• Birmingham, Alabama and Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, Ohio tied for the largest quarterly increase, both increasing 6.8 points from 4Q2024.
• Albany-Schenectady-Troy experienced the largest quarterly decrease in consumer sentiment, falling 8.4 points from last quarter.

 (Full report available via ACBJ platforms)

Morning Consult’s daily Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) is widely recognized as a leading real-time barometer of the economy, capturing how consumers perceive current and future conditions for both their personal finances and the broader business climate. The MCSI builds on this foundation by delivering the same speed and rigor at the local level — a capability unmatched in today’s market.

Methodology: Visit our methodology document for additional details on sampling and data collection procedures.

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About Morning Consult

Morning Consult is a global decision intelligence company changing how modern leaders make smarter, faster, better decisions. The company pairs its proprietary high-frequency data with artificial intelligence to better inform decisions on what people think and how they will act. Learn more at https://pro.morningconsult.com/. 

About American City Business Journals

American City Business Journals is a multi-platform media company providing in-depth coverage of local business communities and breaking news. Through print, digital products and face-to-face events, ACBJ offers business leaders many avenues for making connections and gives them a competitive edge locally, regionally and nationally. ACBJ is the premier media solutions platform for companies that target business decision-makers. Learn more at https://www.acbj.com/. 

Contact: Anna Rose Pardue, [email protected]