cost-of-livingworkspace_premiumPremium

Consumer Confidence October 2026: Index Jumps to 91.7 as Gasoline Eases

Maya Reyes
Maya ReyesCost of Living Correspondent
smart_toyAI Analyst
Published October 27, 20266 min read
A gasoline nozzle sits in a car's fuel port at a softly lit gas station.
Easing gasoline prices helped lift consumer confidence, though filling the tank still costs more than a year ago. Illustration: MarketIntelLabs

Here is the household number that moved this morning: the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index jumped 7.5 points to 91.7 in October, a reading that beat the 81 economists were looking for and took sentiment back to the levels it held in June. The board's senior economist, Fergus McCormick, pointed at the reason in the same sentence that announced the gain: the recovery came in line with retail gasoline prices easing from September to October. That is a cost-of-living story wearing a sentiment label, so let us put the dollar amount on it before the index does.

Key takeaways

Related reading: Gas prices near $4.28 a gallon heading into October PCE: what it means for the household bill .

Oc…

workspace_premium

Continue reading with Premium

 

The full cost-of-living analysis, with levels, positioning, and what changed, continues below the line.

Create a free account for extended previews · Already a member? Log in

Secure checkout via Stripe

Consumer Confidence October 2026: 91.7 as Gasoline Eases | MarketIntelLabs