Rural US Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4/gal
This article makes the interesting point that it's not the SoCal-ians with their $4.50 gas that is really being seriously impacted, it's the people in the rural south and west that are truly being hurt by gas prices. Since their incomes are very low and gas usage high (through both living far away from anything and driving old beat up trucks), they are spending a serious amount of their money on gas.
Keep in mind this is on average and I'm sure there are plenty of people in CA who are too poor to drive to the store, and people in the south don't need exotic mortgages to buy a house.
So, what are you paying as a percentage of income?