Gas Prices Freezing Americans into Staycations

Summer’s heat sweeps across the country, the beach and mountains beckon, but gas prices are freezing a quickly growing number of Americans into staycation mode.

That’s what Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement accompanying the organization’s latest poll results, which were released last week. In that poll, four out of ten Americans (40 percent) said they have changed their summer vacation plans as a result of gas prices, while 58 percent said they have not. That is up from Quinnipiac’s March 30 poll, when 30 percent of Americans said they had changed their summer vacation plans and 67 percent said they had not.

The organization’s latest poll revealed that more than six in 10 Americans (63 percent) said the price of gas and consumer goods is the economic issue that worries them most right now, while 17 percent said the cost of housing or rent, 11 percent said the stock market, and three percent said their job situation. The poll outlined that more than two-thirds of Americans (68 percent) said the price of gasoline has either been a very serious (30 percent) or somewhat serious (38 percent) problem for them and their family lately, while 32 percent said it’s not too serious (22 percent) or not a problem at all (10 percent).

In the poll, Americans 55 - 44 percent said that, as a result of the recent rise in gas prices, they have cut back significantly on their household spending.

According to the AAA gas prices website, the average price of regular gasoline in the U.S. is $4.897 per gallon, as of June 27. Yesterday’s average came in at $4.900 per gallon, the week ago average was $4.981 per gallon, the month ago average was $4.599 per gallon, and the year ago average was $3.095 per gallon, AAA’s website showed. The highest recorded average price of regular gasoline was seen on June 14, at $5.016 per gallon, according to the AAA site. 

The Quinnipiac University Poll describes itself as a nationally and internationally recognized polling organization that adheres to rigorous methodological practices. Survey results regularly consist of over 1,000 respondents, the organization’s website notes. The AAA gas prices website describes itself as a public service of the U.S.’s largest motoring and leisure travel membership organization.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com