Here are the everyday expenses North Carolina residents say they can’t afford

Rising prices are taking a toll on a majority of North Carolinians — even those who don’t struggle to make ends meet.

In a new survey from Catawba College and YouGov, which polled 1,000 North Carolinians online between June 1 and June 10, 72% of respondents said they were cutting back on regular purchases. That’s up eight percentage points from January.

Even among those who said they weren’t having trouble paying for their monthly expenses, more than half reported limiting their spending in the past month.

“I think that that kind of dynamic over the past six months is something that truly is notable in at least this survey’s findings,” Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for NC Politics and Public Service at Catawba College, told The News & Observer in a phone interview.

In June, 57% of respondents said they had difficulty affording monthly expenses, up from 54% in January.

And, compared to January, a greater percentage of respondents said in June that everyday purchases — including groceries, personal care items, energy and utilities, and automobiles — were unaffordable.

But not all expenses seem to be as concerning to North Carolinians, the survey suggested. In June, 61% of respondents described housing costs as unaffordable, down from 70% in January.

Bitzer said the survey didn’t ask any follow-up questions, so there are no clues as to the change in perception about housing costs.

“But still, that’s six out of 10 North Carolinians, instead of seven out of 10 North Carolinians,” Bitzer said, emphasizing that a majority of the state’s residents still think housing costs are high.

Which expenses are unaffordable in NC?

In June, survey respondents were asked whether six specific expenses were “unaffordable.” Here’s how many respondents answered that they were unaffordable:

• Automobiles: 68%
• Gas: 62%
• Housing: 61%
• Healthcare and insurance: 59%
• Groceries: 58%
• Energy and utilities: 57%

Consumer sentiment in the US

The Catawba College-YouGov survey indicated that North Carolinians are feeling strained by high prices. But across the country, consumer sentiment rose about 10% from 44.8 in May to 49.5 in June, according to the University of Michigan’s long-running Surveys of Consumers, which gives a snapshot of Americans’ feelings about the economy.

Still, consumer sentiment is 13% below February’s level, prior to the start of the conflict in Iran, and almost 20% less than a year ago. And for the third-straight month, more than half of consumers spontaneously said high prices are taking a toll on their personal finances.

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 3:13 PM.

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

919-419-6579

Renee Umsted is The News & Observer’s Affordability Reporter. She writes about what it costs to live in the Triangle, with a consumer-focused approach. She has a degree in journalism from TCU.