Northeast Ohio travelers and stay-at-home families face higher costs this Memorial Day weekend, as AAA forecasts more Americans will travel while gas, lodging, and grocery staples rise amid pressures tied to global events.
By the time people fired up group chats about where to go for Memorial Day, the price tags were already moving.
For Northeast Ohio residents watching gas prices, the weekend trip math is getting harder. Americans heading into the three-day break and Memorial Day road trips are set to pay more for fuel than they have in four years, even as a record number of people plan to travel domestically.
About 45 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between May 21 and May 25. a slight increase from last year. according to AAA’s domestic travel forecast. Of them, 39.1 million plan to travel by car and 3.7 million will fly, despite soaring gas and jet fuel costs. Even those staying close to home may feel it at the checkout line. with higher prices for beef. tomatoes. and drinks pushing up the cost of cookouts.
“It’s going to be virtually impossible to avoid price hikes for summer fun. whether that’s a road trip. that’s a flight. a vacation. whether that’s a couple nights in a hotel. or whether that’s a backyard barbecue. ” Lindsay Owens. Groundwork Collaborative’s executive director. said. “If you sit inside and watch TV, you’re going to be paying more for your AC.”.
Gas pump prices are the most visible hit
One of the most noticeable cost increases travelers will face this Memorial Day weekend is at the gas pump.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated gas prices rose 5.4% in April, after a record 21.2% surge in March following the start of the Iran war. Over the year, gas prices were up 28.4%.
AAA said the national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $4.56 on May 20. That is up from $4.04 last month and up from $3.18 when travelers were preparing for Memorial Day weekend this time last year.
AAA also said travelers who booked early may have found cheaper flights. Still, airline fares rose 2.8% in April and were up 20.7% over the year, according to the BLS, as oil supply remained strained due to traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Hotels and rentals may add another layer of pressure
Even travelers trying to keep budgets controlled by shortening trips may end up paying more for lodging away from home.
The BLS said the cost of lodging away from home got 2.4% more expensive in April and rose 4.6% over the year.
Owens pointed to what that means for household energy bills, too. “You don’t pay separately for your energy costs when you stay at a hotel,” she said. “Hotels are cranking up ACs in the summer, and their energy prices and costs are going to rise, and they’re going to pass that along to consumers.”
Grocery staples for backyard meals are also rising
Consumers skipping travel to save money may still face higher costs at the grocery store as they prepare for Memorial Day celebrations.
Alcoholic drink prices were up 1.9% and nonalcoholic beverage costs rose 5.1% over the year in April.
For cookouts, burger patties are likely to be more expensive. The average price of ground beef climbed to $6.90 per pound after beef prices rose 2.7% in April. Over the year, beef prices are up about 15%.
Tomatoes, another staple for many burgers and sides, also carry a sharper increase. They shot up 15.1% in April and surged about 40% over the year as tariffs, weather, and increased transportation costs tied to the war affect farmers’ bottom lines.
Groton warned that food price pressures may not be limited to what’s on store shelves today. John Groton. a sector lead for energy. materials and utilities at Thrivent. said much of the fertilizer farmers used in recent months was secured at lower prices before the war began. but they are now beginning to purchase fertilizer for upcoming crop cycles at higher rates. which could drive food prices even higher in the future.
“And if it’s a lousy harvest for weather reasons and prices are still high in the fall, then 2027 becomes concerning,” Groton said.
Why shoppers feel boxed in, even when they plan
Faced with those price moves, consumers are trying to shop around.
Most consumers trying to shop smart ahead of the holiday weekend plan to do so at discount retailers like Walmart, according to a Numerator survey. Still, 45% of those surveyed said they believed rising prices will have an impact on their shopping.
About half plan to seek out promotions, sales, or coupons, and 35% said they will seek out lower-priced brands.
Shifting to cheaper protein sources and buying local produce in season can help reduce costs, but Angela Hanks, The Century Foundation’s chief of policy programs and a former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau official, said the reality is consumers can’t easily escape the broader squeeze.
She described the moment facing many households in plain terms: “Everyone across the country is going to be thinking really hard about can they afford to take that trip?. Can they go see their families?. Can they take time off?” Hanks said. “I hate to tell people they can’t do that, because they should be able to. They’re sort of in this situation for no fault of their own. but I think that really is the choice that people are faced with.”.
Memorial Day weekend gas prices AAA BLS travel forecast airline fares lodging costs grocery prices ground beef tomatoes inflation pressures Northeast Ohio