Pollster ratings · Head to head

Change vs. Research & Polling Inc.: which pollster is more accurate?

Research & Polling Inc. comes out ahead on 6 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index, which grades pollsters on how close their final polls came to actual results from 1998 to 2022.

 
Change Research
C+
Trust Score 33/100 · rank #54
★ Ahead
Research & Polling Inc.
A
Trust Score 75/100 · rank #9

Head to head

MeasureChangeResearch & Polling Inc.
Trust Score33/10075/100 ★
Average error
how far final polls missed the result
5.6 pts4.2 pts ★
Versus expected
error compared with what its races predicted
0.7 worse1.7 better ★
Consistency
random miss once its tilt is removed
±4.5 pts±4.1 pts ★
Historical bias
closer to even is better
D+3.2R+1 ★
Winners called71%88% ★
Track record
final polls analyzed, 1998–2022
102 polls43 polls
2026 polls13—
2026 lean
versus other polls of the same races
D+0.8—

Compare them in the interactive Trust Index All pollster ratings

More comparisons: Change Research vs. YouGov · Research & Polling Inc. vs. YouGov · Change Research vs. Emerson College · Emerson College vs. Research & Polling Inc. · Change Research vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Research & Polling Inc. vs. University of New Hampshire Survey Center · Change Research vs. New York Times/Siena College · New York Times/Siena College vs. Research & Polling Inc.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more accurate, Change or Research & Polling Inc.?

Research & Polling Inc. has the smaller average error (4.2 pts vs. 5.6 pts). Overall, research & Polling Inc. comes out ahead on 6 of 6 measures in the Crosstab Trust Index (Change: C+, Trust Score 33; Research & Polling Inc.: A, Trust Score 75).

Grades: Crosstab Trust Index, computed from FiveThirtyEight's pollster-ratings data (CC BY 4.0), 1998–2022; 2026 measures from Crosstab's polling data.

Updated 2026-10-04 · Crosstab, nonpartisan polling analysis.