As of October 14, 2026. Figures are from the Pew Research Center, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and AAA, linked below.
More than four in ten American adults (44%) say they had trouble paying for at least one basic necessity in the past year, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released October 14. Among lower-income adults, the figure is 71%.
The findings arrive three weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, as prices for gas and other essentials have become a leading concern for voters in both parties.
What Pew asked
Pew asked about four specific hardships over the past 12 months. The 44% figure counts anyone who reported at least one:
| Hardship in the past year | All adults | Lower income | Middle income | Upper income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trouble paying for medical care for self or family | 28% | 42% | 27% | 9% |
| Problems paying for daily transportation | 22% | 42% | 16% | 4% |
| Problems paying rent or mortgage | 21% | 39% | 15% | 5% |
| Got food from a food bank or pantry | 20% | 42% | 12% | 2% |
| At least one of the above | 44% | 71% | 39% | 13% |
One detail is easy to miss. Pew didn’t ask whether people had trouble paying for food. It asked whether they got food from a food bank or pantry, which is a narrower measure.
Pew’s income tiers are adjusted for household size and local cost of living. For a household of three, “lower income” means an adjusted family income below about $50,700, and “upper income” means above about $152,000.
The broader financial picture
The same surveys found:
- 60% say they don’t currently have enough income to lead the kind of life they want.
- 53% say they don’t have emergency savings that would cover three months of expenses.
- 27% say that in a typical month they can’t pay some of their bills, or can only make partial payments.
- 70% say they cut back on extras such as eating out or streaming services in the past year.
The gaps by income are large. Among lower-income adults, 77% lack three months of emergency savings, compared with 20% of upper-income adults.
Differences by party
Pew found modest differences between partisans, even though the two coalitions have similar incomes overall. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents were less likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to report trouble affording at least one necessity (38% vs. 48%). Republicans were also more likely to say they have enough income to live the life they want (46% vs. 35%) and that they can pay all their bills in full each month (78% vs. 69%).
When the survey was taken matters
The hardship questions come from a survey conducted July 20 to August 9, 2026. Other questions come from a follow-up survey conducted August 24 to 30. Only people who completed both are included. The sample is 5,166 adults from Pew’s American Trends Panel, with a margin of error of plus or minus 1.6 percentage points for the full sample and 3.3 points for lower-income adults.
That timing is important for reading the results. Both surveys were in the field before September’s jump in prices:
- Consumer prices rose 0.6% in September, and annual inflation reached 3.7%, up from 3.4% in both July and August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported October 14. Gasoline prices rose 9.1% in the month and accounted for more than half of the overall increase.
- Gas averaged about $4.33 a gallon nationally on October 14, compared with about $3.08 a year earlier, according to AAA. Diesel averaged about $6.30, up from about $3.66.
So the 44% figure describes the year leading up to late summer. It doesn’t capture any effect of September’s price increases. Pew also didn’t ask people why they had trouble paying, so the survey on its own doesn’t show how much of the hardship comes from inflation rather than other causes, such as job loss or medical events.
How this connects to the midterms
A separate Pew survey, conducted September 28 to October 4 among 5,062 adults, measured how concerned Americans are about economic issues. Three-quarters (74%) said they are very concerned about the price of gasoline and energy, up from 60% in July and 43% in January. Majorities also said they are very concerned about the price of food and consumer goods (73%), healthcare costs (69%) and housing costs (66%).
Concern crosses party lines, though it’s higher among Democrats. For example, 81% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans are very concerned about gas and energy prices.
Overall ratings of the economy have slipped. In that survey, 21% of adults rated national economic conditions as excellent or good, down from 24% in July and 28% in January. Pew attributes most of the recent decline to Republicans: 36% now rate the economy positively, down from 41% in July. Among Democrats, the share is 9%, about where it was in July.
What to watch
- October inflation data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases October’s Consumer Price Index on November 10, a week after Election Day. Voters will cast ballots with September’s numbers as the latest official reading.
- Gas prices. The national average has eased slightly from its late-September high but remains well above last year’s level.
- Whether the gap between parties widens. Republicans’ economic ratings have declined since January. Pew’s next survey will show whether that continues into November.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, “Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities” (Oct. 14, 2026)
- Pew Research Center, survey methodology for the Oct. 14 analysis
- Pew Research Center, “Cost Concerns Dominate as Public’s Economic Ratings Turn More Negative” (Oct. 8, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index, September 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI release schedule
- AAA, national average gas prices