About 52.2 million U.S. adults, 20.0% of all adults, said paying their usual household expenses over the past two months had been somewhat or very difficult, in a Census Bureau survey taken July 15 to August 3, 2026. In the March 13–30, 2026 survey the share was 21.1%. Among people who answered the question, the shares were 21.3% in July and 22.7% in March.
In July, 35.6% of adults in households with income under $35,000 reported difficulty, as did 28.5% of adults 18 to 34 and 9.2% of those 65 and older. The two surveys use different groupings for age and income, so we show them separately.
The Census Bureau calls this survey experimental. It warns that estimates for small groups can have large standard errors, and the change from March to July may be within sampling error. We have not tested whether it is statistically significant.
July 15 – August 3, 2026
| Group | Characteristic | Adults | Somewhat or very difficult | Share of all adults | Share of those who answered | Did not report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | 261,534,494 | 52,228,632 | 20.0% | 21.3% | 15,825,037 |
| Age | 18 – 34 | 74,040,588 | 21,120,381 | 28.5% | 30.9% | 5,666,394 |
| Age | 35 – 49 | 64,578,630 | 14,269,453 | 22.1% | 23.5% | 3,873,352 |
| Age | 50 – 64 | 60,081,266 | 11,027,798 | 18.4% | 19.5% | 3,523,589 |
| Age | 65 and above | 62,834,010 | 5,811,000 | 9.2% | 9.7% | 2,761,702 |
| Sex | Male | 126,182,658 | 21,594,321 | 17.1% | 18.1% | 7,125,506 |
| Sex | Female | 135,351,836 | 30,634,311 | 22.6% | 24.2% | 8,699,531 |
| Sexual orientation | Straight, that is not gay or lesbian | 228,620,663 | 40,297,363 | 17.6% | 18.7% | 13,656,290 |
| Sexual orientation | Gay or lesbian, bisexual, or uses a different term | 26,361,585 | 10,638,049 | 40.4% | 42.2% | 1,128,811 |
| Sexual orientation | Did not report | 6,552,246 | 1,293,221 | 19.7% | 23.5% | 1,039,936 |
| Race and ethnicity | Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race) | 49,316,111 | 11,607,604 | 23.5% | 25.5% | 3,737,667 |
| Race and ethnicity | White alone, not Hispanic | 153,746,765 | 26,223,178 | 17.1% | 18.1% | 8,625,275 |
| Race and ethnicity | Black alone, not Hispanic | 30,517,884 | 9,471,930 | 31.0% | 33.2% | 2,017,368 |
| Race and ethnicity | Asian alone, not Hispanic | 20,172,670 | 2,818,039 | 14.0% | 14.7% | 986,157 |
| Race and ethnicity | Two or more races + Other races, not Hispanic | 7,781,064 | 2,107,881 | 27.1% | 28.8% | 458,570 |
| Education | High school graduate or less | 105,894,822 | 27,560,165 | 26.0% | 27.6% | 6,168,909 |
| Education | Some college/associate's degree | 58,760,346 | 13,189,472 | 22.4% | 24.8% | 5,532,106 |
| Education | Bachelor's degree or higher | 96,879,326 | 11,478,996 | 11.8% | 12.4% | 4,124,023 |
| Marital status | Married | 151,256,450 | 23,485,351 | 15.5% | 16.5% | 8,901,028 |
| Marital status | Widowed, divorced, separated | 41,318,165 | 8,627,393 | 20.9% | 21.9% | 1,846,388 |
| Marital status | Never married | 67,022,279 | 19,794,957 | 29.5% | 31.6% | 4,424,147 |
| Marital status | Did not report | 1,937,600 | 320,931 | 16.6% | 25.0% | 653,474 |
| Household size | 1 person in the household | 30,445,862 | 5,840,378 | 19.2% | 20.7% | 2,259,776 |
| Household size | 2 people in the household | 93,175,586 | 12,780,743 | 13.7% | 14.4% | 4,259,763 |
| Household size | 3 people in the household | 47,756,617 | 9,111,050 | 19.1% | 20.4% | 3,156,646 |
| Household size | 4 people in the household | 43,637,372 | 9,404,736 | 21.6% | 23.3% | 3,217,297 |
| Household size | 5 or more people in the household | 46,519,057 | 15,091,726 | 32.4% | 34.6% | 2,931,555 |
| Presence of children under 18 years old | Children in household | 88,289,738 | 25,554,917 | 28.9% | 30.8% | 5,291,318 |
| Presence of children under 18 years old | No children | 173,244,756 | 26,673,717 | 15.4% | 16.4% | 10,533,720 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | Yes | 19,284,412 | 8,526,208 | 44.2% | 48.0% | 1,517,899 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | No | 239,299,790 | 43,288,824 | 18.1% | 19.2% | 13,728,573 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | Did not report | 2,950,292 | 413,600 | 14.0% | 17.4% | 578,565 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | Yes | 154,342,209 | 29,766,105 | 19.3% | 20.3% | 7,994,796 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | No | 103,224,806 | 21,901,869 | 21.2% | 22.7% | 6,881,058 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | Did not report | 3,967,479 | 560,659 | 14.1% | 18.6% | 949,183 |
| Household income | Less than $35,000 | 38,889,164 | 13,851,512 | 35.6% | 35.7% | 125,585 |
| Household income | $35,000 to $74,999 | 59,640,818 | 12,761,374 | 21.4% | 21.5% | 259,978 |
| Household income | $75,000 to $99,999 | 31,787,579 | 6,964,000 | 21.9% | 22.1% | 221,136 |
| Household income | $100,000 to $149,999 | 38,944,777 | 5,829,539 | 15.0% | 15.0% | 73,048 |
| Household income | $150,000 and over | 51,445,375 | 4,229,244 | 8.2% | 8.3% | 380,127 |
| Household income | Did not report | 40,826,780 | 8,592,965 | 21.0% | 33.0% | 14,765,163 |
| U.S. Region | Northeast | 44,981,141 | 10,024,210 | 22.3% | 24.1% | 3,312,212 |
| U.S. Region | Midwest | 53,116,421 | 10,141,490 | 19.1% | 20.1% | 2,707,974 |
| U.S. Region | South | 101,762,419 | 21,003,671 | 20.6% | 22.0% | 6,481,888 |
| U.S. Region | West | 61,674,513 | 11,059,262 | 17.9% | 19.0% | 3,322,964 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metro Area | 15,644,092 | 3,126,462 | 20.0% | 21.8% | 1,270,072 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area | 10,112,379 | 1,467,843 | 14.5% | 15.6% | 692,448 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metro Area | 7,338,126 | 1,510,414 | 20.6% | 22.2% | 527,205 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metro Area | 6,352,730 | 1,699,682 | 26.8% | 28.8% | 453,648 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metro Area | 5,852,626 | 976,620 | 16.7% | 17.9% | 391,438 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metro Area | 4,950,488 | 1,126,087 | 22.7% | 24.2% | 299,170 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area | 4,963,094 | 1,030,242 | 20.8% | 22.4% | 363,315 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metro Area | 5,075,717 | 895,845 | 17.6% | 18.5% | 228,855 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD Metro Area | 4,870,591 | 908,944 | 18.7% | 20.1% | 341,059 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler, AZ | 3,995,310 | 601,334 | 15.1% | 16.4% | 325,915 |
| U.S. Top 10 Metropolitan Statisical Area | Does not live in a Top 10 MSA | 192,379,341 | 38,885,161 | 20.2% | 21.4% | 10,931,913 |
March 13 – 30, 2026
| Group | Characteristic | Adults | Somewhat or very difficult | Share of all adults | Share of those who answered | Did not report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Total | 261,534,494 | 55,291,897 | 21.1% | 22.7% | 17,872,492 |
| Age | 18 – 29 | 51,303,467 | 14,930,723 | 29.1% | 31.9% | 4,481,224 |
| Age | 30 – 39 | 45,473,314 | 12,710,954 | 28.0% | 30.1% | 3,267,099 |
| Age | 40 – 49 | 41,842,437 | 9,871,922 | 23.6% | 25.7% | 3,391,719 |
| Age | 50 – 59 | 37,277,903 | 7,889,427 | 21.2% | 22.9% | 2,811,557 |
| Age | 60 – 64 | 22,803,363 | 3,038,877 | 13.3% | 14.2% | 1,456,012 |
| Age | 65 and above | 62,834,010 | 6,849,996 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 2,464,881 |
| Sex | Male | 126,182,658 | 22,030,674 | 17.5% | 18.7% | 8,617,056 |
| Sex | Female | 135,351,836 | 33,261,223 | 24.6% | 26.4% | 9,255,436 |
| Sexual orientation | Gay or lesbian | 6,329,898 | 1,749,422 | 27.6% | 29.0% | 297,046 |
| Sexual orientation | Straight, that is not gay or lesbian | 235,168,247 | 47,662,852 | 20.3% | 21.7% | 15,670,919 |
| Sexual orientation | Bisexual | 8,381,805 | 2,782,534 | 33.2% | 34.0% | 207,692 |
| Sexual orientation | I use a different term | 6,889,802 | 1,698,193 | 24.6% | 27.5% | 719,103 |
| Sexual orientation | Did not report | 4,764,741 | 1,398,897 | 29.4% | 36.9% | 977,732 |
| Race and ethnicity | White alone | 152,090,173 | 25,813,492 | 17.0% | 17.9% | 7,718,825 |
| Race and ethnicity | Hispanic or Latino alone | 40,023,426 | 8,436,721 | 21.1% | 24.1% | 5,009,774 |
| Race and ethnicity | Black alone | 30,517,884 | 9,543,861 | 31.3% | 34.7% | 3,019,813 |
| Race and ethnicity | Asian alone | 18,930,794 | 3,730,630 | 19.7% | 20.9% | 1,074,840 |
| Race and ethnicity | All additional race and/or ethnicity groups | 19,972,217 | 7,767,192 | 38.9% | 41.0% | 1,049,242 |
| Education | Less than high school | 29,094,619 | 7,796,281 | 26.8% | 29.4% | 2,592,728 |
| Education | High school or GED | 76,800,204 | 19,481,303 | 25.4% | 27.4% | 5,742,480 |
| Education | Some college/associate's degree | 58,760,346 | 13,890,087 | 23.6% | 25.5% | 4,276,857 |
| Education | Bachelor's degree or higher | 96,879,326 | 14,124,228 | 14.6% | 15.4% | 5,260,428 |
| Marital status | Married | 152,380,774 | 26,881,746 | 17.6% | 18.9% | 10,522,097 |
| Marital status | Widowed | 13,904,356 | 2,459,980 | 17.7% | 18.4% | 570,274 |
| Marital status | Divorced | 22,640,636 | 5,102,064 | 22.5% | 23.7% | 1,156,861 |
| Marital status | Separated | 3,772,024 | 1,426,768 | 37.8% | 41.4% | 325,468 |
| Marital status | Never married | 67,495,456 | 19,259,163 | 28.5% | 30.8% | 4,955,639 |
| Marital status | Did not report | 1,341,248 | 162,175 | 12.1% | 16.2% | 342,153 |
| Household size | 1 person in the household | 32,320,026 | 6,293,353 | 19.5% | 20.5% | 1,620,639 |
| Household size | 2 people in the household | 88,712,433 | 14,905,657 | 16.8% | 18.0% | 5,817,135 |
| Household size | 3 people in the household | 51,836,611 | 9,947,426 | 19.2% | 20.8% | 4,107,184 |
| Household size | 4 people in the household | 44,960,460 | 10,912,914 | 24.3% | 26.3% | 3,476,014 |
| Household size | 5 or more people in the household | 43,704,963 | 13,232,547 | 30.3% | 32.4% | 2,851,521 |
| Presence of children under 18 years old | Children in household | 85,298,243 | 23,575,425 | 27.6% | 30.1% | 6,943,940 |
| Presence of children under 18 years old | No children | 176,236,251 | 31,716,473 | 18.0% | 19.2% | 10,928,552 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | Yes | 23,456,968 | 10,680,009 | 45.5% | 50.1% | 2,129,592 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | No | 234,819,797 | 44,134,943 | 18.8% | 20.1% | 15,152,631 |
| Respondent or household member experienced loss of employment income in the last 4 weeks | Did not report | 3,257,729 | 476,945 | 14.6% | 17.9% | 590,269 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | Yes | 156,528,144 | 33,758,634 | 21.6% | 23.2% | 10,897,929 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | No | 100,484,261 | 20,967,692 | 20.9% | 22.1% | 5,411,814 |
| Respondent employed in the last 7 days | Did not report | 4,522,090 | 565,572 | 12.5% | 19.1% | 1,562,749 |
| Household income | Less than $25,000 | 22,883,320 | 8,025,924 | 35.1% | 35.2% | 107,780 |
| Household income | $25,000 – $34,999 | 16,467,341 | 5,624,342 | 34.2% | 34.3% | 53,548 |
| Household income | $35,000 – $49,999 | 25,644,325 | 6,882,798 | 26.8% | 26.9% | 38,003 |
| Household income | $50,000 – $74,999 | 40,819,887 | 11,634,918 | 28.5% | 28.5% | 38,756 |
| Household income | $75,000 – $99,999 | 28,106,868 | 6,321,810 | 22.5% | 22.5% | 26,956 |
| Household income | $100,000 – $149,999 | 40,017,152 | 7,534,239 | 18.8% | 18.9% | 56,731 |
| Household income | $150,000 and over | 50,597,547 | 4,522,044 | 8.9% | 9.0% | 244,441 |
| Household income | Did not report | 36,998,055 | 4,745,822 | 12.8% | 24.1% | 17,306,277 |
What these numbers are
The Census table reports how difficult adults said it was for their household to pay usual household expenses in the last two months. Counts are Census Bureau weighted estimates of adults 18 and older. The percentages are our calculation from those counts. "Share of all adults" counts people who did not answer in the base; "share of those who answered" leaves them out. The Census Bureau publishes a standard error for each count, which our CSV includes, but not for the combined "somewhat or very difficult" share. It says a coefficient of variation over 30% signals potentially serious data quality issues.
The Census Bureau revised the March 2026 tables on September 24, 2026, after revising the March public-use file; we use the revised tables. No spending table was posted for the May 2026 collection. The survey moved to independent samples each collection period starting in March 2026, so earlier results are not shown here.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Household Trends and Outlook Pulse Survey (HTOPS), Household Spending Table 1, July 2026 (released September 24, 2026) and March 2026, with standard error tables, downloaded October 18, 2026. Experimental data product. U.S. government data. Our tables are available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Difficulty Paying Household Expenses: Census Pulse Survey, 2026," My Credit Guide, October 18, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/household-expense-difficulty/.