Joint Economic Committee minority says U.S. families face higher fuel and household costs

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U.S. families face higher costs

Highlights

U.S. families face average higher annual costs of $915 for housing, $856 for gasoline, and $310 for groceries since Trump took office, per October 15 committee data.
Households spent an extra $110 on electricity in 2025 over 2024, and $130 more in the first seven months of 2026 versus 2024, with grocery prices now over 4% above pre-Trump levels.
Affordable Care Act monthly premiums rose over 50% on average in 2026 from last year, and deductibles increased more than $1,000, driving record health cost burdens.

Committee data detail household cost increases

As reported by U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee - Minority, the updated data provide national, state-by-state and congressional district-level estimates for added household spending and were released on October 15. The committee said the figures show average additional costs of $915 for housing, $856 for gasoline and $310 for groceries since Trump took office, while electricity bills also rose compared with 2024 levels.

The release says families spent an additional $110 on electricity in 2025 compared with 2024, and an additional $130 in the first seven months of 2026 versus the same period in 2024. It also says grocery prices are now more than 4% higher than when Trump took office, with ground beef rising to more than $7 per pound and coffee topping $9 per pound.

Senator Maggie Hassan, the committee's ranking member, says the data reflect broad pressure on household budgets and argues that tariffs and the Iran war have pushed prices higher. The release also points to recent findings that many household goods prices would have fallen last year without Trump's tariffs.

Political and consumer impact across sectors

The committee says health care costs are also climbing after Affordable Care Act tax cuts were not extended, with monthly premiums for ACA plans rising more than 50% on average in 2026 from last year. Deductibles have also reached record highs, increasing by more than $1,000 on average, according to the release.

The figures are part of Hassan's broader effort as ranking member to quantify the economic effects of Trump's policies on households across all 50 states. The release says she plans to continue pressing the administration to reverse its tariff policy, the war with Iran and other actions that Democrats say are raising consumer costs.

Our earlier coverage of rising U.S. toy prices ahead of the holiday season detailed how tariffs on Chinese goods and energy- and shipping-related cost pressures have pushed toy inflation higher than many other consumer categories. That piece also noted that even after some tariff rollbacks, shelf prices can stay elevated because earlier, higher-duty inventory and war-linked fuel and logistics costs keep working through supply chains.

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