Rising Gas Prices From Iran War Are Hitting American Families Where It Hurts Most

For millions of Americans, the cost of filling up a gas tank or buying groceries has become a source of daily stress — and a months-long U.S. military conflict with Iran is making that worse. From Arkansas to Texas to West Virginia, everyday people say they are cutting back, falling behind, and wondering when relief will come.

A new poll from ABC News, The Washington Post, and Ipsos paints a stark picture of household financial strain across the country. Four in ten Americans say they are worse off financially than they were when President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. Nearly one in four say they are falling behind financially. And half of those surveyed expect gas prices to climb even higher over the next year.

The war's most direct impact on American wallets is showing up at the pump. Iran's retaliatory blockage of the Strait of Hormuz — a critical waterway through which roughly 20% of the world's traded oil normally flows — has caused major disruptions to global oil supply chains. That squeeze on supply has driven up gas prices, with ripple effects spreading across household budgets nationwide.

Cutting Back on the Basics

The poll found that more than four in ten Americans have already changed their behavior in response to higher gas prices. Specifically, 44% have reduced how much they drive, 42% have cut other household expenses, and 34% have altered or canceled travel and vacation plans. For households earning under $50,000 a year, the numbers are even more stark — more than half have cut back on both driving and everyday expenses.

Jacob Olson, a 28-year-old from Beebe, Arkansas, knows this reality firsthand. After losing his warehouse management job when his employer, a solar company, went bankrupt, Olson started making custom wood products and selling them to customers — a job that requires him to drive frequently. With gas and food prices climbing, every dollar is accounted for.

"One day at a time," Olson said. "One foot in front of the other. ... That's about the way to sum it up."

The financial pressure has only deepened for Olson, who recently became the father of two young children.

"I don't really do anything, you know, for leisure or luxury anymore," Olson said. "It's all kind of just getting the bills paid ... I have a 1-year-old, and I just had another baby about a month ago, so I've got two little ones, and every day it's getting harder."

When Getting to the Grocery Store Costs $30

For people who don't own a car, rising gas prices hit indirectly but just as hard. Brenda Howard, 66, from Lubbock, Texas, relies on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft to get to her job as a cleaner and to run basic errands. A single trip to the grocery store now costs her around $30.

"This is not the way I thought my retirement was gonna turn out," Howard said. "I never dreamed that it would be a day-to-day struggle, sometimes hour to hour."

Martha Davis, a 66-year-old caretaker from Tool, Texas, faces a different version of the same problem. She cares for her disabled son and must travel as far as 60 miles to reach medical appointments. What once cost her $20 to $25 in gas has more than doubled.

"I used to get back and forth on like $20, $25, but now it's almost 70 bucks," Davis said.

Mixed Views on the War — and the President

A 61% majority of Americans told pollsters that the Trump administration's decision to go to war with Iran was a mistake. But opinions about the president himself remain more complicated.

Andy Breedlove, 51, from West Virginia, said he believes Trump is performing well in his second term even as he acknowledges gas prices are too high. Breedlove, who is not working due to a disability, suspects prices will keep rising because of the conflict.

"But with the price of everything else, it kind of evens out a little," Breedlove said.

Jim Piper, a 36-year-old from Portage, Indiana, who also lives on a fixed income due to a disability, said inflation is squeezing him despite his support for giving Trump more room to govern. He blames political gridlock between the two parties for rising costs.

"I got to pay more, even though I'm not making more," Piper said.

Olson, meanwhile, expressed frustration with how the administration has communicated about the conflict.

"He hasn't made a clear statement on why ... we're actually participating at all," Olson said. "From what I know, there's been a lot of just lying and, you know, not being transparent, and ... a big lack of professionalism, which I don't appreciate coming from the president."

Christopher Mosley, 43, a former Walmart employee from Fort Smith, Arkansas, described Trump as "reckless" on foreign policy.

Trump's own statements on gas prices have shifted over time. In early April, he suggested prices might hold steady or rise before the midterm elections. By May 1, he was saying prices would come "tumbling down" once the conflict ended. Iran is currently reviewing a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war, according to a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry.

With the midterm elections approaching, the financial frustration felt by voters across party lines is emerging as a significant political factor. Democrats are already positioned to make gains in Congress, and Trump has described a potential shift in congressional power as a direct threat to his presidency. For many of the Americans caught in the middle, though, the immediate concern is far simpler: making it through the month.