Key insights:

  • Nearly half of high-mileage drivers (47%) visit gas stations three to five times a month, compared with 34% of low-mileage drivers.
  • Despite visiting more often, high-mileage drivers show similar spend per visit, with $30-$49.99 as the most common spend band for both groups (52% vs 49%).
  • High-mileage drivers place slightly greater importance on low fuel prices (75%) and loyalty programs (28%) than low-mileage drivers (71% and 22%).

Research data from YouGov Profiles data shows that a relatively small group of high-mileage drivers account for a disproportionate share of interactions at gas stations. While their spending per visit looks broadly similar to that of low-mileage drivers, their value comes from showing up far more often, creating more frequent opportunities for brands to engage, convert, and retain them.

High-mileage drivers visit gas stations far more often

Low-mileage drivers, defined as those travelling less than 10 miles a day, are much more likely to be infrequent visitors to gas stations. Over half (55%) say they make just 0-2 visits a month. Among high-mileage drivers, those travelling 20 miles or more a day, that figure drops to 31%.

Instead, high-mileage drivers are concentrated in higher visit bands. Nearly half (47%) visit gas stations three to five times a month, compared with 34% of low-mileage drivers. They are also twice as likely to make six or more visits a month (21% vs 9%), and more than three times as likely to visit over 10 times a month (7% vs 2%).

This pattern highlights where the economic value of high-mileage drivers lies: not in occasional high-spend moments, but in repeated, predictable interactions over the course of a month.

Spend per visit is broadly similar across mileage groups

Despite visiting gas stations more often, high-mileage drivers do not dramatically outspend low-mileage drivers on each visit. For both groups, the most common spend band is $30-$49.99 (52% of high-mileage drivers vs 49% of low-mileage drivers).

High-mile drivers are only slightly more likely to spend $50-$79.99 per visit (13% vs 10%), while the share spending $80 or more is identical (2% in both groups). Low-mile drivers are marginally more likely to spend under $30 (37% vs 32%).

Taken together, this suggests that higher fuel spend among high-mileage drivers is driven primarily by frequency, not larger basket sizes.

Price and loyalty matter most at the point of choice

When choosing where to refuel, both high- and low-mileage drivers prioritise practical considerations. Low fuel price is the most important factor for both groups, but it matters slightly more to high-mileage drivers (75% vs 71%).

High-mileage drivers are also more likely to say loyalty programs influence their choice of gas stations (28%, compared with 22% of low-mileage drivers). By contrast, factors such as cleanliness (31% vs. 32%), safety (33% vs. 31%), convenience of location (63% vs. 64%), and convenience store quality (22% for both groups) show little difference between the two groups.

This suggests that high-mileage drivers are not more demanding across the board; instead, they place slightly greater emphasis on economic efficiency and rewards that accumulate with frequent use.

What this means for brands

High-mileage drivers deliver value through repeat engagement, not premium spend per transaction. Strategies designed to capture this value are likely to work best when they focus on competitive pricing, simple loyalty mechanics, and frictionless refuelling experiences rather than upselling or experiential differentiation.

Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between November 2024 – November 2025, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

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