---
title: "Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities"
description: "44% of Americans had trouble paying for a basic necessity in the past year, with lower-income adults hit hardest."
date: "2026-10-14"
authors:
  - name: "Juliana Menasce Horowitz"
    job_title: "Senior Associate Director, Research"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/juliana-menasce-horowitz/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/"
categories:
  - "Economic Conditions"
  - "Income, Wealth & Poverty"
  - "Personal Finances"
---

# Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities

![A family browses food pantry shelves in Austin, Texas, on March 26, 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_featured.png?w=640)

As the 2026 midterms approach, economic issues are top of mind for voters. Many specifically mention prices and affordability as key concerns, according to a [Pew Research Center survey conducted this fall](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/10/08/cost-concerns-dominate-as-publics-economic-ratings-turn-more-negative/).

### Many Americans, especially those with lower incomes, are experiencing financial challenges

*% saying they …*

|  | Upper income | Middle income | Lower income | All adults |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do not currently have enough income* | 26 | 59 | 82 | 60 |
| Do not have rainy day funds** | 20 | 52 | 77 | 53 |
| Cannot pay all of their monthly bills*** | 7 | 22 | 49 | 27 |

* Wording included “enough income to lead the kind of life you want.”** Wording included “emergency or rainy day funds that would cover your expenses for three months in case of sickness, job loss, economic downturn or other emergencies.”*** Wording included “cannot pay some bills or can only make a partial payment on some of them” in a typical month.Note: Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

As part of our ongoing work to understand how these issues are affecting people in their day-to-day lives, we asked Americans a series of questions about their **financial stability and security,** their **ability to afford basic necessities,** and their **general outlook on their personal financial situation.**

The survey, conducted in August, finds that many Americans are not on solid financial footing:

- 60% say they do not currently have enough income to lead the kind of life they want.

- 53% say they do not have emergency funds that would cover their expenses for three months.

- 27% cannot pay some of their monthly bills or can only make partial payments.

- 32% say they worry every day or almost every day about the cost of healthcare and the amount of debt they have.

Overall, 70% of U.S. adults say they have cut back on spending for extras – such as eating out, streaming services or other entertainment – in the past year. And 54% say they have not been able to save money for the future.

**About this research**

This Pew Research Center analysis looks at the financial challenges many Americans are experiencing, as well as their general outlook on their personal financial situation.

#### Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, the media and decision-makers understand important topics. This research builds on our previous work on [economic issues](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/economy-work/) and [personal finances](https://www.pewresearch.org/topic/economy-work/personal-finances/).

#### How did we do this?

This analysis draws on a survey of 5,166 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026. Some questions were asked in a prior survey conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026. Only respondents who completed both surveys are included in this analysis. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s [American Trends Panel](https://www.pewresearch.org/the-american-trends-panel/). The surveys are designed to represent the views of all U.S. adults.

Here are the [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_questionnaire.pdf) we used for this analysis, the [detailed responses](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_topline.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_methodology.pdf).

**Differences by income are large across nearly every measure in the survey.** Financial challenges are also more common among women, Black and Hispanic adults, young adults, and people without a four-year college degree. These groups are more likely to have lower family incomes, which helps explain some of the differences.

Experiences also vary somewhat by political party, even though income gaps between the two coalitions are modest. For example, Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say:

- They currently have enough income to lead the kind of life they want (46% vs. 35%)

- They were able to save for the future in the past year (51% vs. 43%)

- They can typically pay all their bills in full each month (78% vs. 69%)

- They have rainy day funds that would cover their expenses for three months (51% vs. 45%)

Republicans are also more positive than Democrats [about overall economic conditions in the country](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/10/08/cost-concerns-dominate-as-publics-economic-ratings-turn-more-negative/#overall-views-of-the-economy), though these ratings have slipped among Republicans since January.

These findings come from two surveys conducted this summer.

Refer to the [additional charts](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/14/many-americans-are-struggling-to-afford-basic-necessities/#additional-charts) below for more details on how answers to these questions vary by gender, race and ethnicity, age, educational attainment, income, and partisanship.

#### Affording basic necessities

More than four-in-ten Americans (44%) indicate they have had trouble paying for *at least one* of these basic necessities in the past year:

- Medical care for themselves or their family (28% had trouble paying for this)

- Daily transportation costs (22%)

- Rent or mortgage (21%)

- Food (20% say they got food from a food bank or food pantry)

### 71% of lower-income adults had trouble affording at least 1 of 4 basic necessities in the past year

*% saying each of the following happened to them in the past year*

|  | Upper income | Middle income | Lower income | All adults | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Had trouble paying for medical care* | 9 | 27 | 42 | 28 | 1 |
| Had problems paying for daily transportation costs | 4 | 16 | 42 | 22 | 1 |
| Had problems paying their rent or mortgage | 5 | 15 | 39 | 21 | 1 |
| Got food from a food bank or food pantry | 2 | 12 | 42 | 20 | 1 |
| At least one of the above | 13 | 39 | 71 | 44 | 2 |

* Wording included ”paying for medical care for yourself or your family.”Note: Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

These hardships are especially common among people with lower family incomes: 71% experienced at least one, compared with 39% of middle-income adults and 13% of upper-income adults.

Adults who report struggling to afford at least one of these necessities in the past year are much more likely than those who did not experience these hardships to say they have:

- Borrowed money from friends and family (50% vs. 8%)

- Taken out a payday or other short-term loan (31% vs. 4%)

These patterns hold across income groups.

##### Paying for childcare

Overall, 19% of parents with children younger than 18 say there was a time in the past year when they had trouble paying for childcare. This share rises to 30% among lower-income parents, compared with 15% among those with middle incomes and just 6% of parents with upper incomes.

#### Financial well-being and outlook

### Americans hold a mix of positive and negative feelings about their financial situation

*% saying that, when thinking about their personal financial situation these days, they feel each of the following ways ...*

|  | Extremely/Very often | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hopeful | 37 | 40 | 23 |
| Content | 36 | 36 | 27 |
| Stuck | 30 | 32 | 38 |
| Proud | 27 | 37 | 36 |
| Angry | 18 | 30 | 50 |
| Ashamed | 13 | 21 | 65 |

Note: Shares of respondents who didn’t offer an answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026.

Despite these financial challenges, Americans have a mix of negative and positive views about their personal finances.

For example, 41% say they are *not too or not at all confident* they’ll have enough income in the future to lead the kind of life they want, close to double the 22% who are *extremely or very confident*. And 30% say they often feel stuck when they think about their personal financial situation.

At the same time, 37% say they often feel hopeful and 36% feel content when they think about their finances. And 58% think they are doing better than most Americans when it comes to their ability to meet their basic expenses. This includes 85% of adults with upper incomes and 63% of those with middle incomes. (Refer to the [methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_methodology.pdf) for more details about how this measure was created.)

Among adults with lower incomes, 35% think they’re better off than most Americans, while 19% think they’re worse off and 44% think they’re doing about the same.

##### How different groups are feeling about their personal finances

The feelings Americans express about their personal finances vary considerably by family income tier. For example, 58% of upper-income adults often feel content, while 53% feel hopeful and 45% feel proud. In turn, feeling stuck is the most common sentiment among lower-income adults (43% often feel this way).

### Americans’ feelings about their personal financial situation differ widely by income level

*% saying that, when thinking about their personal financial situation these days, they feel each of the following ways extremely/very often*

|  | Upper income | Middle income | Lower income | All adults |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hopeful | 53 | 35 | 30 | 37 |
| Content | 58 | 35 | 24 | 36 |
| Stuck | 12 | 29 | 43 | 30 |
| Proud | 45 | 24 | 19 | 27 |
| Angry | 7 | 17 | 28 | 18 |
| Ashamed | 3 | 12 | 23 | 13 |

Note: Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026.

*Financial worries*

For many Americans, financial concerns go beyond their immediate needs. For example, 37% say they worry every day or almost every day about being able to save for retirement.

### Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say they worry daily or almost daily about being able to save for retirement

*% saying they worry about each of the following …*

|  | Every day/Almost every day | Sometimes | Rarely/Never |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Being able to save for retirement | 37 | 33 | 29 |
| The cost of healthcare for themselves/their family | 32 | 39 | 28 |
| The amount of debt they have | 32 | 28 | 39 |
| Paying their bills | 30 | 30 | 39 |
| Paying their rent of mortgage | 22 | 24 | 53 |
| Affording enough food for themselves/their family | 22 | 24 | 53 |
| Losing their job | 20 | 31 | 48 |
| Losing their housing | 15 | 21 | 62 |

Note: Shares of respondents who didn’t offer an answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026.

About a third worry daily or almost daily about the cost of healthcare and the amount of debt they have (32% each). And 30% worry about paying their bills.

These concerns are especially common among lower-income Americans. About four-in-ten or more in this group say they worry every day or almost every day about paying their bills (49%), saving for retirement (48%), the cost of healthcare (43%), the amount of debt they have (42%), being able to buy enough food (41%), and paying their rent or mortgage (39%).

*Note: Here are the [survey questions](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_questionnaire.pdf) we used for this analysis, the [detailed responses](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_topline.pdf) and the [survey methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/10/SR_26.10.14_Personal-Finance_methodology.pdf).*

#### Additional charts

The charts below provide additional information about how Americans view their personal financial situation.

### Most Americans say they don’t have enough income to lead the kind of life they want

*% saying they currently ___ to lead the kind of life they want*

|  | Do not have enough income | Have enough income | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 60 | 39 | All |
| Men | 56 | 43 | Gender |
| Women | 63 | 36 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 73 | 25 | Age |
| 30-49 | 67 | 32 | Age |
| 50-64 | 58 | 41 | Age |
| 65+ | 40 | 58 | Age |
| White | 52 | 46 | Race |
| Hispanic | 73 | 26 | Race |
| Black | 82 | 17 | Race |
| Asian* | 52 | 46 | Race |
| Lower income | 82 | 17 | Income |
| Middle income | 59 | 40 | Income |
| Upper income | 26 | 72 | Income |
| High school or less | 70 | 28 | Education |
| Some college | 64 | 35 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 45 | 53 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 52 | 46 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 64 | 35 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: Shares of respondents who didn’t offer an answer are not shown. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### About a quarter of Americans can’t fully pay their bills each month

*% saying they ___ in a typical month*

|  | Cannot pay some of their bills | Can pay all of their bills in full | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 27 | 72 | All |
| Men | 22 | 78 | Gender |
| Women | 32 | 67 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 30 | 69 | Age |
| 30-49 | 31 | 69 | Age |
| 50-64 | 28 | 71 | Age |
| 65+ | 19 | 80 | Age |
| White | 20 | 79 | Race |
| Hispanic | 37 | 62 | Race |
| Black | 47 | 53 | Race |
| Asian* | 21 | 78 | Race |
| Lower income | 49 | 51 | Income |
| Middle income | 22 | 78 | Income |
| Upper income | 7 | 93 | Income |
| High school or less | 38 | 61 | Education |
| Some college | 29 | 70 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 14 | 85 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 22 | 78 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 31 | 69 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: Wording included “cannot pay some bills or can only make a partial payment on some of them” in a typical month. Shares of respondents who didn’t offer an answer are not shown. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### More than half of Americans do not have rainy day funds

*% saying they ___ that would cover their expenses for 3 months in case of emergency*

|  | Do not have rainy day funds | Have rainy day funds | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 53 | 46 | All |
| Men | 49 | 51 | Gender |
| Women | 57 | 42 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 64 | 36 | Age |
| 30-49 | 60 | 40 | Age |
| 50-64 | 53 | 46 | Age |
| 65+ | 35 | 64 | Age |
| White | 48 | 52 | Race |
| Hispanic | 66 | 34 | Race |
| Black | 72 | 27 | Race |
| Asian* | 34 | 66 | Race |
| Lower income | 77 | 23 | Income |
| Middle income | 52 | 48 | Income |
| Upper income | 20 | 80 | Income |
| High school or less | 67 | 33 | Education |
| Some college | 59 | 40 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 35 | 65 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 49 | 51 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 55 | 45 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: Shares of respondents who didn’t offer an answer are not shown. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### 7 in 10 Americans say they cut back spending on extras

*% saying they cut back spending on extras such as eating out, streaming services or other entertainment in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 70 | All |
| Men | 65 | Gender |
| Women | 74 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 76 | Age |
| 30-49 | 77 | Age |
| 50-64 | 68 | Age |
| 65+ | 56 | Age |
| White | 68 | Race |
| Hispanic | 76 | Race |
| Black | 75 | Race |
| Asian* | 58 | Race |
| Lower income | 80 | Income |
| Middle income | 71 | Income |
| Upper income | 51 | Income |
| High school or less | 72 | Education |
| Some college | 73 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 65 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 63 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 75 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### Fewer than half of Americans were able to save money in the past year

*% saying they were able to save money for the future in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 45 | All |
| Men | 51 | Gender |
| Women | 40 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 47 | Age |
| 30-49 | 43 | Age |
| 50-64 | 44 | Age |
| 65+ | 49 | Age |
| White | 50 | Race |
| Hispanic | 35 | Race |
| Black | 34 | Race |
| Asian* | 54 | Race |
| Lower income | 24 | Income |
| Middle income | 47 | Income |
| Upper income | 78 | Income |
| High school or less | 33 | Education |
| Some college | 41 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 62 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 51 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 43 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### About 3 in 10 Americans say they had trouble paying for medical care

*% saying they had trouble paying for medical care for themselves or their family in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 28 | All |
| Men | 24 | Gender |
| Women | 31 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 35 | Age |
| 30-49 | 34 | Age |
| 50-64 | 26 | Age |
| 65+ | 14 | Age |
| White | 24 | Race |
| Hispanic | 37 | Race |
| Black | 38 | Race |
| Asian* | 16 | Race |
| Lower income | 42 | Income |
| Middle income | 27 | Income |
| Upper income | 9 | Income |
| High school or less | 36 | Education |
| Some college | 29 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 18 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 23 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 31 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### About 1 in 5 Americans say they had trouble paying for their daily transportation costs

*% saying they had problems paying for daily transportation costs in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 22 | All |
| Men | 20 | Gender |
| Women | 23 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 36 | Age |
| 30-49 | 26 | Age |
| 50-64 | 17 | Age |
| 65+ | 9 | Age |
| White | 17 | Race |
| Hispanic | 31 | Race |
| Black | 34 | Race |
| Asian* | 13 | Race |
| Lower income | 42 | Income |
| Middle income | 16 | Income |
| Upper income | 4 | Income |
| High school or less | 32 | Education |
| Some college | 24 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 10 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 18 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 25 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### About 1 in 5 Americans say they had problems paying their rent or mortgage

*% saying they had problems paying their rent or mortgage in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 21 | All |
| Men | 18 | Gender |
| Women | 23 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 32 | Age |
| 30-49 | 27 | Age |
| 50-64 | 16 | Age |
| 65+ | 8 | Age |
| White | 15 | Race |
| Hispanic | 33 | Race |
| Black | 33 | Race |
| Asian* | 11 | Race |
| Lower income | 39 | Income |
| Middle income | 15 | Income |
| Upper income | 5 | Income |
| High school or less | 31 | Education |
| Some college | 21 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 11 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 17 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 23 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### 1 in 5 Americans say they got food from a food bank in the past year

*% saying they got food from a food bank or food pantry in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 20 | All |
| Men | 16 | Gender |
| Women | 23 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 28 | Age |
| 30-49 | 22 | Age |
| 50-64 | 17 | Age |
| 65+ | 14 | Age |
| White | 14 | Race |
| Hispanic | 33 | Race |
| Black | 32 | Race |
| Asian* | 13 | Race |
| Lower income | 42 | Income |
| Middle income | 12 | Income |
| Upper income | 2 | Income |
| High school or less | 31 | Education |
| Some college | 20 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 8 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 17 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 22 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.

### More than 4 in 10 Americans had trouble affording a basic necessity in the past year

*% saying they had trouble affording at least one of four basic necessities in the past year*

|  | % | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All adults | 44 | All |
| Men | 40 | Gender |
| Women | 47 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 60 | Age |
| 30-49 | 50 | Age |
| 50-64 | 39 | Age |
| 65+ | 26 | Age |
| White | 36 | Race |
| Hispanic | 60 | Race |
| Black | 65 | Race |
| Asian* | 27 | Race |
| Lower income | 71 | Income |
| Middle income | 39 | Income |
| Upper income | 13 | Income |
| High school or less | 59 | Education |
| Some college | 47 | Education |
| Bachelor's+ | 26 | Education |
| Rep/Lean Rep | 38 | Party |
| Dem/Lean Dem | 48 | Party |

* Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only.Note: Figures include those who say at least one of the following happened to them in the past year: had trouble paying for medical care, had problems paying for daily transportation costs, had problems paying their rent or mortgage, got food from a food bank or food pantry. White, Black and Asian adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race. Family income tiers are based on adjusted 2025 earnings. “Some college” includes those with an associate degree and those who attended college but did not obtain a degree.

Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 20-Aug. 9, 2026.