Shell leads YouGov’s 2026 U.S. gas station rankings, with 25.4% of U.S. gas station visitors saying they would consider the brand the next time they are in the market. 7-Eleven ranks second at 22.8%, followed by ExxonMobil at 20.3%.
New YouGov BrandIndex data also reveals which gas station brands gained ground over the past year, how preferences differ across U.S. regions and which brands stand out on perceptions of Value and Quality.
Key findings
- Shell leads nationally at 25.4% Consideration, followed by 7-Eleven (22.8%), ExxonMobil (20.3%), Circle K (18.4%) and Chevron (17.0%).
- Circle K records the largest year-over-year Consideration gain among eligible brands, rising 1.2 percentage-points. Marathon gains 0.6 points and Love’s rises 0.4 points.
- Shell remains No. 1 despite slipping 0.8 points year-over-year. ExxonMobil also declined 0.8 points, while BP fell 0.7 points.
- Gas station preferences vary sharply by region: Shell leads in the South (27.9%) and Midwest (24.8%), ExxonMobil tops the Northeast (24.2%) and Chevron ranks first in the West (26.4%). Wawa nearly matches ExxonMobil in the Northeast at 23.8%.
- 7-Eleven leads on Value while Shell tops Quality. 7-Eleven records the highest Value (Net) score at 18.5, followed by Wawa (15.6) and Circle K (14.8). Shell leads Quality (Net) at 29 percent, ahead of ExxonMobil (23.8) and Chevron (23.2).
“Gas station choice is about more than what drivers pay at the pump. These rankings show that brands can stand out in very different ways, through perceptions of quality, value, national reach or regional strength,” said Lizzy Greer, data consultant at YouGov. “Shell leads nationally and performs particularly well on Quality, while 7-Eleven stands out on Value and Circle K has gained the most ground in Consideration over the past year. The regional results also show just how significantly the competitive landscape can change depending on where drivers are in the country.”
Read the full report here.
Methodology
The analysis is based on YouGov BrandIndex, YouGov’s brand tracking tool, using data collected among U.S. gas station visitors from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026. Year-over-year comparisons use data from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025.
Consideration measures the percentage of respondents who would consider purchasing from a brand the next time they are in the market. Value (Net) and Quality (Net) are net perception scores.
The national ranking is based on more than 3,440 U.S. gas station visitors. Year-over-year analysis includes more than 18,470 respondents for 2026 and more than 14,600 for 2025 among eligible brands. Buce-ee's is not currently tracked in YouGov BrandIndex. 7-Eleven, Wawa, RaceTrac and Sheetz were excluded from the year-over-year comparison because they had not been tracked for at least 18 months.
YouGov is a global research data and analytics group. Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world really thinks and does. With operations in the US, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world’s largest research networks.
Above all, YouGov is powered by reality. That stems from a unique panel of millions of registered members across 64 markets, encapsulating some 18 million shopping trips and millions of interconnected data points. Our unique approach to recruiting and engaging with our panel, combined with our state-of-the-art technology platforms, enables us to deliver real-world, real-time insights that lead to better decision-making and a competitive advantage for our clients.
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