This post updates earlier posts from April, June, August, and October 2021, and February, April, and June 2022, and August/September 2022 with results from the October 2022 UT/Texas Politics Project Poll , which adds another round of assessments of Texans’ attitudes about the coronavirus pandemic to the Texas Politics Project polling data archive. 

To jump to a section of results, click on the link below. For a look at all of the results from the most recent poll, jump to the latest poll page. All of the polling data, including toplines, crosstabs, data files, code books, and full methodology statements, can be found in the data archive. Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

Concern
Behavior
Evaluations

About the polls: Each poll samples 1200 self-identified registered voters in the state of Texas. The data is weighted to the known characteristics of registered voters of Texas from the 2018 Current Population survey and 2014 Pew Religious Landscape Survey. The margin of error of the weighted data for the full sample of registered voters is +/- 2.8 percentage points, with higher margins of error for subgroups. For a full explanation of the poll, see any one of the recent methodology statements available in the data archive.

About the graphics: A link below each graphic leads to a downloadable, shareable, embeddable version of that graphic. Lines can be turned off by clicking on their values in the legends at the bottom of each graphic, which allows for some customization when downloading.

In addition to these items, asked across multiple surveys, many other items about the coronavirus pandemic have also been asked in the nine polls conducted between April 2020 and February 2022. In addition to all of the polling data available in the data archive, graphical representations of all COVID related results can be found through the polling search.

Concern

In each of the surveys, Texas voters were asked to rate their assessment of the seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, their degree of concern about community spread, and their concern about contracting COVID (or someone they know contracting COVID). Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

Seriousness Assessment
     by Party
     by Race
Community Spread Concern
Personal Spread Concern
Containing COVID vs. Helping the Economy

Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments

Respondents were asked, "Would you say that the coronavirus/COVID-19 is..." and given the response options "a significant crisis," "a serious problem but not a crisis," "a minor problem," "not a problem at all," and "Don't know/No opinion."

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Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments by Party

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Coronavirus Seriousness Assessments by Race

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Community Spread Concern

Respondents were asked, "How concerned are you about the spread of the coronavirus in your community?"

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Personal Spread Concern

Respondents were asked, "How concerned are you about you or someone you know getting infected with the coronavirus?"

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Containing COVID vs. Helping the Economy

Respondents were asked, "What do you think is more important...Trying to help control the spread of the coronavirus, even if it hurts the economy OR Trying to help the economy, even if it hurts efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus?"

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Behavior

In each of the surveys, respondents were asked to describe their activity levels during the pandemic, what social distancing practices they are engaging in, and to assess the safety of engaging in a range of activities. Click on the table of contents below to jump to a section:

General Behavior
     by Party
     by Race
Social Distancing
Safety of Different Activities

 

General Behavior

In the February, April, June, August, and October 2021 surveys, respondents were asked, "Thinking about how you and your family are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, which of these best describes you these days?" In April, June, and October 2020 polling, respondents were asked, "As you may know, many Americans have been told to stay home if they can because of the coronavirus pandemic. Which of these best describes you these days?"

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General Behavior by Party

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General Behavior by Race

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Social Distancing

Respondents were asked, "Which of the following measures, if any, are you taking in response to the coronavirus/COVID-19?" The specific activities were described thusly: "Staying away from large groups," and "Wearing a mask when in close contact with people outside your household."

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Safety of Different Activities

Respondents were asked, "Regardless of the current restrictions in your local area, do you think it would be safe or unsafe for you to..." and then provided a list of activities, including: Go to work; Fly on an airplane; Eat at a restaurant; Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium; Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena; Go to a movie theater; Attend church; Send your child to school; Go grocery shopping; Go to a bar or club; Go to a gym or health club; Stay in a hotel; Go to a shopping mall; and Get a haircut.

Share of Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

	August  2021	June  2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	83%	89%	86%	78%	80%	72%
Get a haircut	76%	84%	77%	66%	66%	59%
Go to work	73%	83%	74%	65%	64%	55%
Stay in a hotel	72%	79%	74%	62%	62%	50%
Eat at a restaurant	68%	79%	63%	55%	56%	49%
Go to a shopping mall	61%	72%	62%	48%	49%	36%
Attend church	58%	67%	59%	48%	50%	41%
Send your child to school	55%	74%	63%	55%	45%	35%
Fly on an airplane	52%	65%	51%	40%	39%	27%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	51%	65%	51%	40%	41%	30%
Go to a movie theater	51%	59%	49%	38%	37%	27%
Go to a gym or health club	46%	57%	47%	37%	35%	29%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	38%	50%	39%	29%	29%	21%
Go to a bar or club	37%	49%	38%	30%	28%	23%

 

Share of Texas Republican Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

Among Republicans	August  2021	June  2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	94%	93%	93%	88%	93%	84%
Get a haircut	92%	92%	90%	83%	84%	81%
Go to work	88%	93%	88%	84%	83%	77%
Eat at a restaurant	88%	92%	86%	77%	79%	75%
Stay in a hotel	84%	87%	86%	76%	77%	58%
Attend Church	82%	86%	87%	75%	77%	70%
Send your child to school	82%	90%	85%	77%	73%	58%
Go to a shopping mall	82%	85%	82%	70%	71%	55%
Go to a movie theater	71%	75%	72%	60%	56%	43%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	69%	81%	76%	60%	62%	48%
Fly on an airplane	68%	76%	73%	55%	57%	43%
Go to a gym or health club	68%	76%	72%	59%	56%	48%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	61%	70%	65%	48%	49%	35%
Go to a bar or club	60%	69%	63%	51%	46%	38%

 

Share of Texas Democratic Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

Among Democrats	August  2021	June  2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	72%	84%	76%	66%	68%	58%
Stay in a hotel	60%	69%	64%	45%	46%	35%
Get a haircut	59%	76%	65%	49%	47%	34%
Go to work	54%	72%	59%	45%	44%	32%
Eat at a restaurant	44%	63%	40%	29%	30%	21%
Go to a shopping mall	39%	57%	41%	21%	24%	15%
Fly on an airplane	32%	44%	29%	21%	18%	9%
Go to a movie theater	29%	41%	22%	14%	17%	10%
Attend church	28%	45%	30%	17%	20%	10%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	28%	47%	25%	17%	17%	10%
Send your child to school	22%	59%	43%	31%	14%	9%
Go to a gym or health club	21%	34%	21%	12%	12%	9%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	10%	27%	11%	7%	8%	5%
Go to a bar or club	11%	26%	11%	7%	8%	6%

 

Share of White Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

Among White Voters	August 2021	June  2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	88%	95%	91%	82%	85%	75%
Get a haircut	84%	91%	86%	73%	74%	65%
Stay in a hotel	80%	87%	82%	68%	69%	56%
Go to work	79%	90%	81%	71%	71%	62%
Eat at a restaurant	76%	88%	73%	62%	64%	54%
Go to a shopping mall	68%	82%	68%	53%	55%	40%
Send your child to school	64%	83%	75%	64%	55%	42%
Attend church	64%	75%	67%	53%	57%	48%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	60%	75%	62%	45%	49%	34%
Fly on an airplane	59%	71%	59%	44%	45%	30%
Go to a movie theater	58%	68%	57%	41%	41%	34%
Go to a gym or health club	54%	68%	55%	42%	41%	34%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	46%	59%	48%	32%	34%	26%
Go to a bar or club	45%	58%	46%	35%	32%	25%

 

Share of Black Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

Among Black Voters	August 2021	June  2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	74%	83%	75%	70%	72%	70%
Go to work	55%	66%	62%	52%	51%	42%
Get a haircut	54%	69%	63%	48%	48%	41%
Stay in a hotel	52%	61%	59%	49%	45%	43%
Go to a shopping mall	47%	60%	56%	38%	39%	34%
Eat at a restaurant	46%	59%	39%	33%	36%	36%
Attend church	37%	55%	43%	35%	33%	27%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	33%	46%	35%	33%	29%	18%
Fly on an airplane	31%	42%	35%	33%	33%	23%
Send your child to school	30%	54%	40%	39%	27%	23%
Go to a movie theater	30%	38%	29%	29%	30%	27%
Go to a gym or health club	26%	40%	36%	26%	25%	25%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	20%	35%	23%	19%	21%	14%
Go to a bar or club	18%	30%	18%	21%	25%	20%

 

Share of Hispanic Texas Voters who Say Each of the Following Activities is Safe
(University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polling)

Among Hispanic Voters	August 2021	June 2021	April 2021	February 2021	October 2020	June 2020
Go grocery shopping	76%	77%	73%	73%	74%	61%
Get a haircut	67%	75%	62%	58%	56%	54%
Go to work	65%	76%	61%	57%	53%	47%
Stay in a hotel	61%	69%	60%	52%	52%	40%
Eat at a restaurant	58%	67%	53%	49%	48%	41%
Go to a shopping mall	53%	59%	50%	40%	37%	30%
Attend church	52%	55%	47%	41%	40%	32%
Go to a movie theater	46%	50%	39%	33%	30%	19%
Fly on an airplane	44%	46%	40%	33%	24%	22%
Send your child to school	43%	65%	43%	45%	28%	24%
Attend a sporting event or concert at an outdoor stadium	38%	50%	36%	31%	29%	24%
Go to a gym or health club	37%	41%	31%	28%	23%	20%
Go to a bar or club	28%	37%	30%	18%	16%	18%
Attend a sporting event or concert in an indoor arena	27%	35%	27%	24%	20%	12%

 

Evaluations

Respondents were asked, "Do you approve or disapprove of how each of the following is handling the coronavirus/COVID-19?"

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