# Rising gas prices hit rural Kentuckians hard with lengthy commutes  
**Published:** 2026-04-29T00:26:00.777Z  
**Source:** [Public News Service - Kentucky](https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/rising-gas-prices-hurting-rural-kentuckians-wallets/e0eb084b-058d-4c57-af9c-acb444331479)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/rising-gas-prices-hit-rural-kentuckians-hard-with-lengthy-commutes

Rural Kentuckians are increasingly burdened by higher fuel costs, particularly those living in counties with the longest commutes to work, according to a [new analysis by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy](https://kypolicy.org/kentucky-gas-prices/). Workers in rural counties including Elliott, Hickman, Martin and Fulton face some of the longest average daily commutes to employment in the state.

Jason Bailey, executive director of the policy center, noted that unlike urban residents, most Kentuckians lack viable alternatives to driving. "In fact, more Kentuckians commute to a different county for work than the county that they live in," Bailey said. "And in Eastern Kentucky, about 40% of workers are commuting outside the region for their jobs."

Kentucky experienced one of the steepest gas price increases in the nation, with prices rising 42.5% from $2.80 to $3.98 per gallon between April 2025 and April 2026. The spike has cost Kentuckians $175 million every month, according to the economic policy organization.

The impact extends beyond those at the pump. Transportation is the single largest expense in basic family budgets across many Kentucky counties. Many rural residents work in industries requiring diesel-heavy vehicles. A family of four in Boyd County needs $86,241 a year to make ends meet, with higher gas prices further straining household budgets already pressured by rising housing, healthcare and grocery costs.

Bailey urged lawmakers to consider policies addressing transportation affordability. "We have to be able to do things like expand public transit in places where that makes more sense," Bailey said. Policy options include supporting the transition to electric vehicles to reduce volatility in driving costs and expanding Kentucky's relatively low spending on public transit.

A Pew Research Center survey found 69% of Americans are concerned about rising gas prices due to U.S. military action against Iran, with 45% extremely concerned.

## Sources

- [Public News Service - Kentucky](https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/rising-gas-prices-hurting-rural-kentuckians-wallets/e0eb084b-058d-4c57-af9c-acb444331479)
- [Kentucky Center for Economic Policy - Kentuckians Hit Hard by Rising Gas Prices](https://kypolicy.org/kentucky-gas-prices/)
- [LendingTree - Where Gas Prices Are Highest and Lowest in the US](https://www.livenowfox.com/news/where-gas-prices-highest-lowest-us)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Public News Service - Kentucky, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/rising-gas-prices-hurting-rural-kentuckians-wallets/e0eb084b-058d-4c57-af9c-acb444331479.