States With the Highest (and Lowest) Gas Prices

March 23, 2017 by Steven M. Peters

The price of gas, a necessity for most Americans, tends to be somewhat unpredictable. The common, often erratic, fluctuations are due to basic supply and demand factors, but the price of gas also changes with the seasons, after natural disasters, and due to other events in the United States or around the world. The average price of gas also varies widely by state.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed the latest recorded price of gasoline in all 50 states from the American Petroleum Institute. As of March 20, the average price of one gallon of regular gasoline was $3.07 in Hawaii, the highest of all states. In South Carolina, gas cost $2.01 per gallon, the lowest of all states.

The price of gasoline is a daily concern for most people living in the United States. Of Americans 16 and older, 87.5% drive at least occasionally. The average driver spends 47.1 minutes driving every day, according to a 2015 survey published by the AAA Foundation.

Click here to see the states with the highest and lowest gas prices.

If gas prices are lower than expected in a given year, the volume of summer travel plans almost always goes up. Similarly, residents of states where gas prices are lower than average tend to drive more. By contrast, most drivers in the states with above-average gas prices report lower-than-average annual vehicle miles travelled.

Taxes and fees account for a large share of the cost of gasoline regardless of where the fuel is purchased. The federal government charges 18.4 cents on every gallon purchased in the country. Taxes and fees make up as little as 4.4% of the price per gallon in Alaska, and as much as 23.4% of the price per gallon in Pennsylvania.

To identify the states with the highest gasoline prices, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed statewide average prices per gallon of regular gasoline on March 20 from the American Automobile Association’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report. Total state motor fuel taxes and fees as of January 2017 come from the American Petroleum Institute. Annual vehicle miles traveled per licensee were calculated using data from the Federal Highway Administration’s 2015 Highway Statistics report. Regional parity data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis were used as a proxy for cost of living.

These are the states with the highest and lowest gas prices.

Traffic Out of Charleston, South Carolina

50. South Carolina
> Price per gallon: $2.01
> State tax per gallon: $0.17 (2nd lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,041 (20th lowest)
> Cost of living: 9.5% lower than nation

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Downtown Nashville

49. Tennessee
> Price per gallon: $2.04
> State tax per gallon: $0.21 (10th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,590 (12th highest)
> Cost of living: 9.8% lower than nation

Crossing the Dauphin Island Bridge Alabama

48. Alabama
> Price per gallon: $2.05
> State tax per gallon: $0.23 (14th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,214 (7th highest)
> Cost of living: 12.2% lower than nation

Mississippi Highway 6

47. Mississippi
> Price per gallon: $2.06
> State tax per gallon: $0.19 (5th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 20,062 (2nd highest)
> Cost of living: 13.3% lower than nation

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Lee County, Arkansas

46. Arkansas
> Price per gallon: $2.08
> State tax per gallon: $0.22 (11th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,464 (13th highest)
> Cost of living: 12.5% lower than nation

Houston, Texas 3

45. Texas
> Price per gallon: $2.09
> State tax per gallon: $0.20 (8th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,255 (14th highest)
> Cost of living: 3.4% lower than nation

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Richmond, Virginia

44. Virginia
> Price per gallon: $2.09
> State tax per gallon: $0.22 (13th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,196 (22nd lowest)
> Cost of living: 2.6% higher than nation

Automobile Alley Oklahoma City

43. Oklahoma
> Price per gallon: $2.09
> State tax per gallon: $0.17 (3rd lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 18,199 (5th highest)
> Cost of living: 9.9% lower than nation

Aerial view of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana

42. Louisiana
> Price per gallon: $2.10
> State tax per gallon: $0.20 (9th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,352 (25th highest)
> Cost of living: 8.6% lower than nation

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Arriving at Route 66 State Park, Missouri

41. Missouri
> Price per gallon: $2.10
> State tax per gallon: $0.17 (4th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,069 (10th highest)
> Cost of living: 10.6% lower than nation

Wind farm, Kansas

40. Kansas
> Price per gallon: $2.15
> State tax per gallon: $0.24 (19th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,468 (19th highest)
> Cost of living: 9.3% lower than nation

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The Nada Tunnel In The Mountains Of Kentucky

39. Kentucky
> Price per gallon: $2.16
> State tax per gallon: $0.26 (20th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,111 (15th highest)
> Cost of living: 11.3% lower than nation

Georgia

38. Georgia
> Price per gallon: $2.17
> State tax per gallon: $0.31 (20th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,102 (9th highest)
> Cost of living: 8.0% lower than nation

Driving in the rain north carolina

37. North Carolina
> Price per gallon: $2.17
> State tax per gallon: $0.35 (10th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,624 (17th highest)
> Cost of living: 8.3% lower than nation

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Dover, New Hampshire

36. New Hampshire
> Price per gallon: $2.19
> State tax per gallon: $0.24 (17th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,183 (8th lowest)
> Cost of living: 5.2% higher than nation

Independence Pass Colorado

35. Colorado
> Price per gallon: $2.19
> State tax per gallon: $0.22 (12th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,690 (12th lowest)
> Cost of living: 2.0% higher than nation

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Time lapse photo of Cleveland at night

34. Ohio
> Price per gallon: $2.20
> State tax per gallon: $0.28 (23rd lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,346 (25th lowest)
> Cost of living: 10.7% lower than nation

Delaware Route 41

33. Delaware
> Price per gallon: $2.21
> State tax per gallon: $0.23 (tied-15th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,374 (17th lowest)
> Cost of living: 1.9% higher than nation

Farmland, Indiana, USA

32. Indiana
> Price per gallon: $2.22
> State tax per gallon: $0.34 (13th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,641 (6th highest)
> Cost of living: 8.6% lower than nation

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New Mexico

31. New Mexico
> Price per gallon: $2.23
> State tax per gallon: $0.19 (6th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 18,692 (3rd highest)
> Cost of living: 5.0% lower than nation

Minnesota

30. Minnesota
> Price per gallon: $2.23
> State tax per gallon: $0.29 (25th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 17,125 (8th highest)
> Cost of living: 2.4% lower than nation

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Greenlee County, Arizona

29. Arizona
> Price per gallon: $2.23
> State tax per gallon: $0.19 (7th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,064 (14th lowest)
> Cost of living: 3.6% lower than nation

Wisconsin Highway 110

28. Wisconsin
> Price per gallon: $2.24
> State tax per gallon: $0.33 (17th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,798 (21st highest)
> Cost of living: 6.6% lower than nation

Albany County, Wyoming

27. Wyoming
> Price per gallon: $2.25
> State tax per gallon: $0.24 (18th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 22,718 (the highest)
> Cost of living: 3.8% lower than nation

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Massachusetts

26. Massachusetts
> Price per gallon: $2.25
> State tax per gallon: $0.27 (21st lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,756 (7th lowest)
> Cost of living: 7.1% higher than nation

New River Bridge West Virginia

25. West Virginia
> Price per gallon: $2.25
> State tax per gallon: $0.32 (18th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 16,984 (11th highest)
> Cost of living: 11.1% lower than nation

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Florida

24. Florida
> Price per gallon: $2.26
> State tax per gallon: $0.37 (9th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,512 (23rd highest)
> Cost of living: 0.9% lower than nation

Warwick, Rhode Island, Kent County

23. Rhode Island
> Price per gallon: $2.26
> State tax per gallon: $0.34 (12th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 10,507 (2nd lowest)
> Cost of living: 1.3% lower than nation

Road in Acadia National Park Maine

22. Maine
> Price per gallon: $2.27
> State tax per gallon: $0.30 (23rd highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,344 (24th lowest)
> Cost of living: 2.9% lower than nation

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Interstate 91 southbound Vermont

21. Vermont
> Price per gallon: $2.28
> State tax per gallon: $0.30 (22nd highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,327 (16th lowest)
> Cost of living: 1.2% higher than nation

New Jersey Turnpike

20. New Jersey
> Price per gallon: $2.28
> State tax per gallon: $0.37 (8th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,201 (9th lowest)
> Cost of living: 14.5% higher than nation

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Fargo, North Dakota 2

19. North Dakota
> Price per gallon: $2.29
> State tax per gallon: $0.23 (tied-15th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 18,414 (4th highest)
> Cost of living: 8.5% lower than nation

Nebraska Highway

18. Nebraska
> Price per gallon: $2.29
> State tax per gallon: $0.28 (24th lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,417 (24th highest)
> Cost of living: 9.4% lower than nation

Heartland Landscape with Road, Iowa, Car, Rural

17. Iowa
> Price per gallon: $2.30
> State tax per gallon: $0.31 (21st highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,910 (20th highest)
> Cost of living: 9.7% lower than nation

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Towson, Maryland

16. Maryland
> Price per gallon: $2.30
> State tax per gallon: $0.34 (15th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,741 (18th lowest)
> Cost of living: 10.3% higher than nation

South Dakota

15. South Dakota
> Price per gallon: $2.32
> State tax per gallon: $0.30 (24th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,220 (23rd lowest)
> Cost of living: 12.0% lower than nation

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Busy city highway at twilight.

14. Illinois
> Price per gallon: $2.35
> State tax per gallon: $0.34 (11th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,435 (11th lowest)
> Cost of living: 0.7% higher than nation

National Bison Range Montana

13. Montana
> Price per gallon: $2.36
> State tax per gallon: $0.28 (22nd lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,798 (16th highest)
> Cost of living: 5.8% lower than nation

Michigan winter driving

12. Michigan
> Price per gallon: $2.36
> State tax per gallon: $0.40 (5th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,772 (19th lowest)
> Cost of living: 5.9% lower than nation

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Hartford, Connecticut 2

11. Connecticut
> Price per gallon: $2.39
> State tax per gallon: $0.40 (6th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,308 (10th lowest)
> Cost of living: 8.8% higher than nation

New York August 22, 2015

10. New York
> Price per gallon: $2.43
> State tax per gallon: $0.44 (4th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 10,884 (4th lowest)
> Cost of living: 15.7% higher than nation

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Utah

9. Utah
> Price per gallon: $2.46
> State tax per gallon: $0.29 (25th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 15,470 (18th highest)
> Cost of living: 3.0% lower than nation

Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg

8. Pennsylvania
> Price per gallon: $2.49
> State tax per gallon: $0.58 (the highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,288 (5th lowest)
> Cost of living: 1.8% lower than nation

Idaho welcome sign

7. Idaho
> Price per gallon: $2.49
> State tax per gallon: $0.33 (16th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,680 (22nd highest)
> Cost of living: 6.6% lower than nation

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Valley of Fire

6. Nevada
> Price per gallon: $2.66
> State tax per gallon: $0.34 (14th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 14,124 (21st lowest)
> Cost of living: 2.3% lower than nation

Oregon - Columbia Gorge winding highway with semi trucks evening traffic

5. Oregon
> Price per gallon: $2.68
> State tax per gallon: $0.31 (19th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 12,817 (13th lowest)
> Cost of living: 1.0% lower than nation

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Mountain Views in Wasilla, Alaska

4. Alaska
> Price per gallon: $2.80
> State tax per gallon: $0.12 (the lowest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 9,462 (the lowest)
> Cost of living: 5.7% higher than nation

Washington State Route 520

3. Washington
> Price per gallon: $2.85
> State tax per gallon: $0.49 (2nd highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 10,814 (3rd lowest)
> Cost of living: 3.8% higher than nation

Rear view of traffic on a street, Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

2. California
> Price per gallon: $2.99
> State tax per gallon: $0.38 (7th highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 13,141 (15th lowest)
> Cost of living: 12.4% higher than nation

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Hawaii road

1. Hawaii
> Price per gallon: $3.07
> State tax per gallon: $0.44 (3rd highest)
> Annual miles traveled per driver: 11,322 (6th lowest)
> Cost of living: 16.8% higher than nation

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