Results highlight concerns about delays and cost increases, and point to the need for capital planning to unlock funding
A new survey from Brightly Software, a Siemens company and the global leader in asset lifecycle management solutions, found the introduction of several global tariffs over the last year is causing concern among consumers about the cost of their local infrastructure, with 58% of respondents expecting the price of maintaining and upgrading local infrastructure to increase and 81% concerned tariffs will delay local infrastructure projects.
The 1,000 U.S. consumer poll revealed that a majority (52%) believe the federal government is most responsible for offsetting local infrastructure costs while 11% said the local government. With 45% of Americans reporting they weren’t confident their local government could handle tariff-related financial strain, and with federal funds uncertain or tied up, questions remain about how cities and towns will keep infrastructure resilient as communities that once relied on federal funding now face a dual challenge: fewer federal dollars and higher costs driven by tariffs.
“The survey findings build on the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Report Card released earlier this year, which underscored the need for resilient, data-driven planning to withstand mounting pressures on infrastructure,” said Jennifer Perkins, senior government industry specialist at Brightly Software. “Cities and municipalities that invest in proactive planning will be far better positioned to absorb cost pressures and build resilient infrastructure for the future.”
Additional insights from the study include:
Transportation and Healthcare Facilities Top the List: Transportation (70%), hospitals and health system facilities (57%) and public buildings (53%) are all ranked as the top areas where Americans fear tariffs will have the greatest impact. Public parks and stormwater / wastewater are tied at the bottom of the list of concerns (37%).
Despite Cost Concerns, Consumers Are Split on Tax Increases: A majority of Americans (65%) are concerned tariffs will drive up infrastructure service costs and 62% fear school facility repair and replacement costs will climb. Yet, even with rising expenses, nearly half (47%) of Americans said they would not support local tax increases to protect schools or public facilities.
Sandwich Generations Are the Most Worried: Millennials (69%) and Gen X (67%) are more concerned about rising service costs than the average respondent, with 67% of Millennials especially worried about tariffs driving up school repair and replacement costs.
“Consumers’ concerns about tariffs impacting local infrastructure highlight the need for towns and cities to stretch funding, make smarter decisions about facilities and infrastructure and extend the lifecycle of assets,” said Nigel Hughes, head of product at Brightly Software. “At Brightly, we’re proud to support local governments with investing and connecting high-quality asset data to make the right decisions to protect their most critical assets and keep projects moving forward, no matter the economic strains.”
Brightly Software works with local governments and education institutions to enable smarter asset management. Organizations like Baltimore City Public Schools, Waco Independent School District and Oneida County rely on Brightly to utilize asset data to make improve financial and operational decisions.
Learn more about Brightly’s leading asset lifecycle management solutions.
About the Study
This survey was conducted via Dynata and polled 1,000 general U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age in July 2025. Respondents were segmented and analyzed across age groups, gender, marital status, having children and household income. For complete survey methodology, please email Brightly@pancomm.com.
About Brightly Software
Brightly Software, a Siemens company, enables organizations to manage the entire lifecycle of their assets, facilities and infrastructure. As the global leader in intelligent asset management solutions for more than 25 years, Brightly’s sophisticated cloud-based platform is expertly designed to improve capital planning through smarter, data-driven decision making, empower technicians to predict, prioritize and manage preventative maintenance activities, and support organizations to achieve sustainability, compliance and efficiency goals. Combined with award-winning training, legendary support and managed services, more than 12,000 clients worldwide depend on Brightly to optimize their teams, operations and strategic planning initiatives. For more information, visit brightlysoftware.com.
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Contacts
Kally Lavoie
brightly@pancomm.com