(The Center Square) – Michiganders are feeling the squeeze at the pump more than almost anywhere else in the country, according to a new analysis from SmartAsset.
The study ranks Michigan No. 3 nationwide for its so-called “vibe price” of gasoline – a measure of how much a fill-up actually costs relative to what residents earn.
While gas prices are typically posted per gallon, this analysis instead looked at the cost of a standard 15-gallon tank as a share of income. In Michigan, that burden is among the highest in the U.S.
At an average price of about $4.87 per gallon, a full tank now consumes roughly 4.97% of Michigan’s median weekly household income, based on earnings of about $1,468 per week. Only West Virginia and Ohio ranked slightly higher, coming in at 5% and 5.23% respectively.
For lower-income workers, the strain is significantly greater. A full-time minimum wage earner in Michigan would need to spend about 13.3% of their weekly income to fill a 15-gallon tank, the study found.
The findings come as gas prices continue to remain near record high across the state.
AAA data from Monday showed Michigan’s current average for regular unleaded is about $4.86 per gallon. That is nearly $0.40 higher than the national average of $4.46.
Part of the increase in oil prices stems from ongoing conflict in the Middle East, AAA previously told The Center Square.
Despite not having the highest per-gallon prices in the country, Michigan’s ranking highlights how affordability – not just price – shapes how residents experience costs.
“High pump prices do not always translate into high ‘vibe prices,’” the study explained.
SmartAsset noted that states with relatively lower incomes can feel greater pressure at the pump even when gas prices are moderate. For example, West Virginia ranks first in “vibe price” despite having significantly lower per-gallon costs than many other states.
Conversely, states like California and Hawaii, which have some of the highest gas prices in the nation, do not even rank among the top 10 for gas burden due to higher household incomes.
“The same fill-up can be a minor errand in one area and a meaningful bite out of weekly income in another,” the study said. “With summer travel season approaching, the real pressure at the pump depends not only on gas prices, but on how much room residents have in their budgets to absorb them.”
