US Gas Station Industry in America 2026
The US gas station industry enters 2026 in a strange kind of balance: the overall store count is shrinking for the second year running, yet the number of locations actually selling fuel just hit an eight-year high. Add in a volatile summer for pump prices — driven largely by the ripple effects of the US-Israel conflict with Iran — and you get an industry that looks stable on the surface but is quietly reshuffling underneath, as smaller independent operators get squeezed out and a handful of national chains keep growing through acquisition.
This report breaks down the most current US gas station statistics for 2026, pulling from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), the US Census Bureau, and IBISWorld’s 2026 industry research. From total station counts and industry-wide revenue to gas prices, wages, and the states gaining or losing the most locations, here is what the numbers actually say about gas stations in the United States in 2026.
Interesting Facts About US Gas Stations in 2026
FAST FACTS: US GAS STATION INDUSTRY 2026
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Total US convenience stores .......... 151,975
Stores that sell fuel ................ 122,620 (highest in 8 years)
Industry revenue (2026 forecast) ..... $678.9 billion
Total convenience sales (2024) ....... $837.4 billion
Industry employment (Mar 2026) ....... 1,059,900 workers
National avg. gas price (Jul 2026) ... $3.777 / gallon
Stores per person .................... 1 per 2,257 Americans
Top state by station count ........... Texas — 16,504 stores
| Key Metric | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Total US convenience stores | 151,975 |
| Convenience stores selling fuel | 122,620 |
| Share of stores selling fuel | 80.7% |
| Gas Stations with Convenience Stores industry revenue | $678.9 billion |
| Number of gas station businesses (IBISWorld, NAICS 44711) | 59,114 |
| Total gasoline stations employment | 1,059,900 |
| National average hourly earnings | $21.53 |
| National average retail gasoline price (July 6, 2026) | $3.777 per gallon |
| US population per convenience store | 1 per 2,257 |
Source: National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS/NIQ TDLinx 2026 Store Count); IBISWorld Gas Stations with Convenience Stores Industry Report 2026; US Bureau of Labor Statistics; US Energy Information Administration.
America’s fuel retail landscape is genuinely enormous — 151,975 convenience stores blanket the country, and more than eight in ten of them (80.7%) sell gasoline or diesel alongside snacks, drinks, and prepared food. That fuel-selling subset, at 122,620 locations, just reached its highest point in eight years, even as the broader store count edged down for a second consecutive year. It’s a signal that fuel remains the anchor product pulling customers in, even as the total number of standalone convenience retailers slowly contracts through consolidation and closures.
On the financial side, the numbers are equally striking: the Gas Stations with Convenience Stores industry is valued at $678.9 billion in 2026, while total US convenience-channel sales reached $837.4 billion in the most recent full-year data. With roughly 1.06 million people employed directly in gasoline stations nationwide and national gas prices sitting at $3.777 per gallon as of early July, this is an industry that touches nearly every American household on a near-daily basis — making its statistics some of the most closely watched figures in US retail.
Total Number of US Gas Stations and Convenience Stores in 2026
US CONVENIENCE STORES SELLING FUEL, 2018–2026 (thousands)
2019 |███████████████████████████████████ 115.9
2020 |████████████████████████████████████ 116.8
2021 |█████████████████████████████████████ 118.0
2022 |██████████████████████████████████████ 119.3
2023 |███████████████████████████████████████ 120.2
2024 |███████████████████████████████████████▌ 121.9
2026 |████████████████████████████████████████ 122.6 (8-year high)
| Category | Store Count (2026) | Change vs. Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| Total convenience stores, all US | 151,975 | -280 stores (-0.2%) |
| Convenience stores selling fuel | 122,620 | +768 stores (+0.6%) |
| Gas Stations with Convenience Stores businesses (NAICS 44711) | 59,114 | Declined at 0.7% CAGR, 2021–2026 |
| Share of all convenience stores that sell fuel | 80.7% | Highest share on record |
| US population per store | 1 per 2,257 people | Based on Census estimate of 343 million |
Source: NACS/NIQ TDLinx 2026 Convenience Industry Store Count; IBISWorld Gas Stations with Convenience Stores Industry Report; US Census Bureau population estimates.
What jumps out immediately is the divergence between the total store count and the fuel-selling subset. The total number of convenience stores fell by 280 locations (-0.2%) in the year through December 31, 2025 — a modest but real decline, and the second straight year of contraction for the channel overall. Yet at the very same time, the number of convenience stores that sell fuel actually grew, adding 768 net locations (+0.6%) to reach 122,620, the highest total in eight years. That’s not a contradiction so much as a sorting process: stores without fuel bays are closing at a faster clip than fuel-equipped locations, which continue to hold value for operators because motor fuel remains the single biggest traffic driver into the store.
Zooming out to population terms makes the density of America’s fuel retail network clearer. With the US population estimated at 343 million, there is now one convenience store for every 2,257 Americans — a ratio that has stayed remarkably stable even as the industry consolidates. Meanwhile, IBISWorld’s narrower NAICS 44711 classification (specifically “Gas Stations with Convenience Stores”) counts 59,114 businesses, a figure that has been shrinking at a 0.7% compound annual rate between 2021 and 2026 even as those same locations pull in more revenue per site — a pattern typical of an industry where scale and fuel margins matter more than raw store count.
US Gas Station Industry Revenue and Market Size Statistics 2026
US CONVENIENCE-CHANNEL SALES, 2024 (billions USD)
In-store sales |████████████████████ $335.5B
Motor fuel sales |██████████████████████████████ $501.9B
TOTAL SALES |███████████████████████████████████ $837.4B
| Revenue Category | Amount | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Stations with Convenience Stores industry market size | $678.9 billion | 2026 |
| Industry revenue growth rate | 2.7% | 2026 alone |
| Industry CAGR | 2.8% | 2021–2026 |
| Total US convenience store sales (in-store + fuel) | $837.4 billion | 2024 |
| In-store sales portion | $335.5 billion | 2024 |
| Motor fuel sales portion | $501.9 billion | 2024 |
Source: IBISWorld Gas Stations with Convenience Stores Industry Report 2026; National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) State of the Industry data.
Revenue figures confirm that this is one of America’s largest retail categories by dollar volume, even in a year of shrinking store counts. The Gas Stations with Convenience Stores industry is projected to generate $678.9 billion in 2026 revenue, continuing a 2.8% compound annual growth rate stretching back to 2021 — a pace that held up through inflation swings, EV adoption, and now a geopolitically driven fuel price spike. Growth of 2.7% in 2026 alone suggests the industry is holding steady even as unit economics shift toward fewer, larger, higher-volume locations rather than a proliferation of new stores.
Breaking total convenience-channel sales down by category shows where the money actually comes from. Of the $837.4 billion in total 2024 sales, motor fuel accounted for $501.9 billion, or roughly 60% of total revenue, while in-store merchandise and foodservice contributed $335.5 billion. That fuel-heavy revenue mix explains why operators keep investing in pumps and canopies even as thinner-margin standalone convenience stores without fuel struggle to compete — fuel may carry razor-thin margins per gallon, but it reliably pulls in the traffic that in-store sales, especially foodservice, ultimately monetize at much higher margins.
US Gas Prices Statistics 2026
NATIONAL AVG. RETAIL GASOLINE PRICE BY REGION, JULY 6, 2026 ($/gal)
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) |███████████████████ $3.343
Midwest (PADD 2) |████████████████████ $3.531
Rocky Mountain (PADD4) |█████████████████████ $3.661
National Average |██████████████████████ $3.777
West Coast (PADD 5) |████████████████████████ $4.831
| Region / Metric | Price per Gallon (Jul 6, 2026) |
|---|---|
| National average, regular gasoline | $3.777 |
| Gulf Coast (PADD 3) — lowest region | $3.343 |
| Midwest (PADD 2) | $3.531 |
| Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) | $3.661 |
| West Coast (PADD 5) — highest region | $4.831 |
| Year-over-year change, national average | +$0.652 |
| 2026 peak (mid-May, post-Iran conflict escalation) | $4.56 |
Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Weekly Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, July 7, 2026 release; American Automobile Association (AAA).
Gas prices in 2026 tell a story of geopolitical shock followed by partial recovery. As of July 6, 2026, the national average price for regular gasoline stood at $3.777 per gallon, which is 65 cents higher than the same week a year earlier. That year-over-year jump traces directly back to the US-Israel military conflict with Iran, which disrupted oil markets and pushed the national average to a 2026 peak of $4.56 per gallon in mid-May — the highest monthly reading since 2022. Prices have since eased roughly 17% off that peak as markets stabilized, though they remain well above where they started the year.
Regional variation remains one of the most persistent features of the US gas price landscape. The Gulf Coast region (PADD 3), home to the country’s largest concentration of refining capacity across Texas and Louisiana, posted the cheapest average at $3.343 per gallon, while the West Coast (PADD 5) — burdened by stricter fuel formulations, higher state taxes, and limited refinery access — averaged $4.831, a spread of nearly $1.50 per gallon between the two coasts. That gap, roughly consistent year after year regardless of what crude oil is doing nationally, underscores how much state policy and refining infrastructure shape what drivers actually pay at the pump.
US Gas Station Ownership and Market Concentration Statistics 2026
US CONVENIENCE STORE OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE, 2026
Owned by 1-10 store operators |████████████████████████████ 63.0%
Owned by 500+ store operators |███████████████ 22.2%
All other operators (11-499) |███████ 14.8%
| Ownership Tier | Store Count | Share of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Operators with 1–10 stores (“A-size”) | 95,672 | 63.0% |
| Operators with 500+ stores (“E-size”) | 33,810 | 22.2% |
| Mid-size operators (11–499 stores) | 22,493 | 14.8% |
| Total US convenience stores | 151,975 | 100% |
Source: National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS/NIQ TDLinx 2026 Convenience Industry Store Count).
Despite constant headlines about mega-chains gobbling up the market, the US convenience and fuel retail industry is still overwhelmingly a small-business sector. A full 63% of all stores — 95,672 locations — are owned by operators running 10 or fewer stores, a share that has barely moved year over year. That means the corner gas station in most American towns is still far more likely to be independently or family-owned than part of a national brand, even in 2026.
At the other end of the spectrum, companies operating 500 or more stores control 33,810 locations, or 22.2% of the national total — a slight dip from 22.4% the year before, suggesting large-chain consolidation, while real, is proceeding gradually rather than rapidly. The remaining 14.8% sits with mid-sized regional operators, the segment most likely to be acquired as bigger companies look to expand quickly, a trend borne out repeatedly in 2025’s wave of acquisitions among mid-sized regional chains.
US Gas Station Employment and Wages Statistics 2026
GASOLINE STATION OCCUPATIONS BY EMPLOYMENT, 2024
Cashiers |██████████████████████████████ 586,940
Supervisors/Managers |█████ 104,310
Food prep & serving workers |███ 41,370
Service station attendants |█ 17,750
Food preparation workers |█ 17,070
Automotive techs/mechanics |▏ 6,590
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total gasoline station employment (Mar 2026) | 1,059,900 workers |
| National average hourly earnings (Feb 2026) | $21.53 |
| National average weekly hours | 32.6 hours |
| Cashiers — employment (2024) | 586,940 |
| Cashiers — median annual wage | $29,580 |
| Service station attendants — employment (2024) | 17,750 |
| Service station attendants — median annual wage | $33,100 |
| First-line retail supervisors/managers — median annual wage | $39,480 |
| Workplace injury/illness rate (per 100 workers, 2024) | 1.9 cases |
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) programs, 2024–2026 data.
Gasoline stations remain one of America’s largest direct employers among retail subsectors, with 1,059,900 workers on payrolls as of March 2026 — a figure that has held essentially flat through the first quarter of the year despite broader economic uncertainty. Cashiers make up by far the largest occupational group, at 586,940 workers nationally, dwarfing every other role in the industry and reflecting how central the checkout counter and register remain to daily operations, even as self-checkout and pay-at-pump technology continue to expand.
Wages in the sector remain modest relative to the broader economy, though not stagnant: the national average hourly earnings across all gasoline station employees reached $21.53 in February 2026, while frontline roles tell a more specific story — service station attendants earned a median annual wage of $33,100, and cashiers earned a median of $29,580. Supervisory roles pay meaningfully more, with first-line retail supervisors and managers earning a median of $39,480 annually, illustrating the wage ladder available within a single gas station location. On the safety side, the industry reported 1.9 recordable injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers in 2024, a relatively low rate for a retail environment involving fuel handling, cash transactions, and constant public foot traffic.
US Gas Station Statistics by State 2026
TOP US STATES BY CONVENIENCE STORE COUNT, 2026
Texas |████████████████████████████████████████ 16,504
(National average per state, for scale, ~3,040)
| State | Store Count / Change (2026) |
|---|---|
| Texas — most stores nationally | 16,504 stores (+88 vs. prior year) |
| Georgia — 2nd-largest gain | +39 stores |
| Ohio — 3rd-largest gain | +38 stores |
| New York — largest decline | -143 stores |
| Massachusetts — 2nd-largest decline | -77 stores |
| New Jersey — 3rd-largest decline | -61 stores |
| Alaska — fewest stores nationally | 185 stores (unchanged) |
| States with rising store counts | 22 states |
Source: National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS/NIQ TDLinx 2026 Convenience Industry Store Count).
State-level data shows just how unevenly the US gas station and convenience store market is distributed. Texas continues to dominate, with 16,504 stores — more than one in ten of every convenience store in the country — and it also added the most new locations of any state in 2026, growing by 88 stores. Georgia and Ohio followed as the next-fastest-growing states, adding 39 and 38 stores respectively, pointing to continued expansion across the Sun Belt and parts of the Midwest even as the national total contracts.
The losses tell an equally clear regional story. New York recorded the steepest decline of any state, shedding 143 stores, followed by Massachusetts (-77) and New Jersey (-61) — all dense, high-cost Northeastern markets where real estate pressure and regulatory costs make running a standalone fuel-and-convenience location increasingly difficult. At the opposite extreme, Alaska remains the smallest market in the country with just 185 stations, a number that hasn’t budged, a reflection of the state’s small, sparsely distributed population rather than any market weakness.
Top US Gas Station and Convenience Store Companies 2026
SELECTED TOP US C-STORE/FUEL CHAINS BY LOCATION COUNT, 2026
Circle K (Alimentation Couche-Tard) |██████████████████████████ 6,038
RaceTrac |███ 605
Anabi Oil (Rebel-branded) |█▌ 345
Jacksons Food Stores |█▌ 339
| Company | US Store Count (2026) | Notable 2025–26 Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Circle K (Alimentation Couche-Tard) | 6,038 (up from 5,833) | Finalized acquisition of GetGo Café + Market |
| RaceTrac | 605 (up from 588) | Acquired Potbelly (445 sandwich shops) for $556 million |
| Anabi Oil (Rebel-branded) | 345 | Agreed to acquire Green Valley Grocery (87 stores, Las Vegas area) |
| Jacksons Food Stores | 339 | Acquired Redwood Oil Company (24 stores) |
| FEMSA (entering US market) | 255 | Acquired Delek’s DK-branded stores, converting to OXXO |
| Top-100 cutoff threshold (2026) | 66 stores | Down slightly from 67 stores the prior year |
Source: NACS Magazine, Top 100 Convenience Retailers of 2026, based on NACS/NIQ TDLinx data.
Consolidation is the defining theme among the industry’s biggest players in 2026. Circle K, operated by Alimentation Couche-Tard, remains the largest chain by a wide margin, growing from 5,833 to 6,038 US locations, with a large share of that increase coming from finalizing its acquisition of GetGo Café + Market, the chain formerly owned by Giant Eagle. RaceTrac posted more modest store growth, from 588 to 605 locations, but made headlines with a much larger strategic move — acquiring the sandwich chain Potbelly and its 445 US locations for $556 million, a sign that fuel retailers increasingly see foodservice, not just gasoline, as their next growth engine.
Further down the rankings, regional chains are actively snapping up smaller competitors to build scale quickly rather than growing store-by-store. Anabi Oil, which operates under the Rebel brand with 345 locations, moved to acquire the 87-location Green Valley Grocery chain in the Las Vegas market, while Jacksons Food Stores picked up Redwood Oil Company’s 24 stores to expand its California footprint. Even international players are entering the fray: Mexico’s FEMSA, operator of the OXXO convenience brand, has built a 255-store US foothold through its purchase of Delek’s DK-branded locations, illustrating that the US gas station and convenience store industry, despite its slowly shrinking store count, remains attractive enough to draw serious new capital and cross-border competition in 2026.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
