Long term change
Middle class families in the USA are used to living far from work. People live in "good" subdivisions & commute by car for long distances. Well paid workers "turn over" urban centers to transients after business hours. This pattern was made possible by low fuel prices. The middle class is willing to endure long commutes to live in larger homes in "good" subdivisions. As fuel prices rise, the cost of commuting by car will cancel out the low prices of land in distant subdivisions. People will live closer to work and/or along commuter rail corridors. 1 problem will be that a couple may not be able to live close to the jobs of both partners. The working poor will be worst off, as usual, because an individual may not be able to find affordable housing within a short commute of either of the 2 jobs they have. They make less to begin with & will have to spend more of it on fuel.
