For many Latino families in Los Angeles, filling up the tank is starting to feel like a second rent payment. A new UCLA analysis released this week finds that Latino households in California spend roughly $1,300 more per year on gasoline than non-Latino households and have far less financial wiggle room when prices spike. The squeeze lands hardest on working families with long commutes who often do not have access to newer, more fuel-efficient cars.
UCLA Study Finds Bigger Gas Burden on Latino Households
A research brief published April 23 by the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute draws on data from the 2022–23 Consumer Expenditure Survey and the 2017 National Household Travel Survey to track spending and travel behavior. The authors estimate that Latino households spend about $4,900 a year on gasoline, compared with roughly $3,600 for non-Latino households, a gap of about $1,300 that eats up a larger share of Latino families' overall budgets.
Local Price Spikes Turn a Gap Into a Gut Punch
Recent prices show how quickly those extra costs add up. As of Thursday, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas was $5.95 in Los Angeles County and $5.08 in Orange County, figures that highlight how fast expenses can mount at the household level, according to NBC Los Angeles. "Even before the gas prices increased Latino households were already spending more money on gas than non-Latinos," Rosario Majano of UCLA LPPI told NBC Los Angeles. Abel Martinez, a Los Angeles resident interviewed by the station, said he is working multiple jobs and cutting back on going out because of what he is paying at the pump.
Why Latino Drivers Are More Exposed to Price Shocks
The UCLA brief links the disparity to how people get to work and what they drive. Latino workers are more likely to commute by driving alone or carpooling and are far less likely to work from home. Vehicles in Latino households also tend to be slightly older and are less likely to be hybrids or electric. Because Latino households log more miles and less often own newer, fuel-efficient cars, the institute estimates that recent price hikes could tack on roughly $5.9 billion to $7.4 billion in gasoline costs statewide each year, depending on fuel-efficiency assumptions.
Study Authors Call for Targeted Help From Policymakers
Researchers told NBC Los Angeles they want the findings to serve as a guide for policymakers looking to support communities that get hit hardest when fuel prices climb. The brief also points out that high housing costs are pushing many Latino households farther from job centers, which stretches out daily commutes and increases exposure to volatile gas prices, a pattern the authors say could be eased through policy choices and local investment.
Until there is relief at the pump, many Los Angeles families are likely to keep trimming nonessential trips, putting off car upgrades and tightening other household spending. The report underscores that without focused solutions, including changes in transit and housing policy plus more affordable vehicle programs, the same households will continue to bear the brunt of high gas prices.
