Rising Costs Are Putting a Real Strain on Texas Families

For Texas families, the bare necessities are becoming a real financial strain. Gas and groceries have both gotten significantly more expensive over the

past year. Not luxury items, not extras — just the cost of getting to work and putting dinner on the table. 

Gas prices have climbed sharply 

Since the U.S.-Israel war on Iran began, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway that carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. That closure sent prices rising quickly at the pump. In Texas, the average gallon of regular gas sat at $2.55 before the conflict. At its peak, it climbed to $4.52.

Here's where things stand:

• Regular gas is 36.1% more expensive than this time last year. Diesel has risen 60.9% — affecting delivery drivers, farmers, and anyone with a long commute.

• Economists estimate the average household will spend $857 more on gasoline in 2026 than they did last year.

• The average Texan is now spending $223 a month on gas — before a single grocery run.

Groceries are up too

A separate set of pressures is hitting the grocery store. Tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada — which together supply more than 50% of the fresh fruit and 69% of the vegetables Americans buy — have pushed prices up 3 to 10 percent on the most affected food categories. Ground beef has risen 21.8% over the past year, going from $5.55 to $6.75 a pound nationally. 

Between higher gas prices driven by overseas conflict and grocery costs pushed up by trade policy, Texas families are feeling the impact from two directions at once. The increases are showing up in weekly budgets across the state — at the pump on the way to work, and again at the checkout on the way home.