Average Gas Prices by State in the US [2024 Data]

Looking for the average gas prices by the state? You’ve come to the right place.

Throughout this article, we’ll take a look at both the average national and state gas prices, and make a comparison between the 2021 and 2022 gas price situations in the United States.

To find out more about the cost of gas across the nation, read on!

Fascinating Facts and Stats About Average Gas Prices by State

• The 2022 US average gas price is the highest ever recorded, not accounting for inflation.
• The average regular gas price in March 2022 reached $4.32 per gallon.
• The average regular gas price in California’s most expensive counties is around $4.90.
• The cheapest regular gas in Colorado costs around $3.60.
• The $4.01 highest Texas regular gas price was recorded on March 11th this year.
• Around 3.21 billion barrels of gasoline were consumed in 2021.
• Compared to last year, drivers will spend $1,000 more on gas during 2022.
• Washington state drivers pay $4.44 per gallon.

What Does the Current Gasoline Situation Look Like Across the US?

Let’s take a look at the 2022 gasoline prices in the United States.

1. The average regular gas price in March 2022 reached $4.32 per gallon.

(Fortune) (Reuters)

The March 2022 average national gas price is the highest gas price recorded in the USA since 2008. Compared to the current peak, the 2008 gas price peak of $4.14 per gallon is lower by 18¢, and some analysts project that oil prices will climb as much as $200 per barrel if the current trend continues.

2. In February 2022, the national average price of diesel was $4.03.

(EIA) (Statista)

Diesel prices for February 2022 marked the highest average price since March 2013 after rising by $0.31 from January to February 2022. Overall, EIA projects that diesel prices will reach an average of around $4.10 per gallon in 2022.

3. Residents in California pay $5.34 on average for a gallon of gas.

(KTLA75) (AAA)

The latest AAA data shows that the US average gas price of regular gasoline in California is now over $5, compared with an average of $3.73 in March 2021.

The reason why gas prices are higher on the West Coast is that the California Air Resources Board only permits gas stations to sell gasoline blends that ensure minimal air pollution, and that adds an extra cost to the price of gasoline.

4. Missouri has the lowest gasoline prices, at $3.62 a gallon.

(Route Fifty)

At $3.60, Missouri has the cheapest gas prices in the US in March 2022, enabling Missouri residents to save almost $2 per gallon compared to California residents. Other states with low gas prices include Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and South Dakota. 

States With the Most Expensive Gas in the US in 2022

What are the gas expenses of residents living in states with prices higher than the US average?

5. Hawaii and Nevada come a close second to California, with $4.71 and $4.67 per gallon respectively.

(USA Today)

Hawaii and Nevada’s regular gas prices are some of the highest in the US. Residents of Hawaii pay an average price of $4,71 per gallon, whereas, in Nevada, residents pay around $4,67 per gallon. 

Oregon and Washington closely follow these states on the list of gas prices by state, with average prices of $4.58 and $4.54 per gallon respectively.

6. Alaska has a 15.13¢ tax on gasoline and a 14.98¢ tax on diesel.

(Kiplinger)

At around 15¢,  Alaska has the lowest taxes on gasoline and diesel, but its prices for both regular gas and diesel are above average—regular gas is sold for $4.73 on average, while diesel is sold for $5.05, making Alaska one of the states with the highest gas prices in the USA.

7. On average, premium gas costs $6.07 in California and $5.41 in Hawaii.

(AAA Gas Prices)

California and Hawaii have the highest premium gas prices in the USA. Some other states with premium gas prices above the national average include the District of Columbia with $5.10, Illinois with $5.32, Oregon with $5.12, and Pennsylvania with $5.04.

8. The average regular gas price in California’s most expensive counties is around $4.90.

(KTLA75)

California counties with the most expensive gas in the US are Mono, Humboldt, Inyo, Trinity, Del Norte, Napa, and San Luis Obispo, with Mono also being the only county with a $5.58 price on regular gas, which is above the $4.90 average.

9. Illinois gas prices increased by 91 cents from February to March 2022.

(KGHA)

In February 2022, the average gas price in Illinois was around $3.70; a month later, the price of regular gas in the state was around $4.60.

Compared to 2021’s regular average gas price of around $3, this year drivers in Illinois pay about $1.60 more per gallon. 

10. Washington state drivers pay $4.44 per gallon.

(King 5)

Washington ranks fifth on the list of highest gas prices by state, preceded only by Oregon, Nevada, Hawaii, and California. In Washington, residents of King County pay the highest prices for gas, with an average of around $4.60 per gallon.

11. New York’s state average gas price has increased by $1.50 since 2021.

(Democrat & Chronicle)

With a current average of around $4.30 compared to last year’s $2.90 average, New Yorkers now spend around $1.50 more on gas. The prices of regular gas in New York’s metro areas range from the lowest one in Ithaca is $4.22 to the highest one in White Plains is $4.36. Records show prices have been gradually rising all over the state of New York ever since early January 2022.

States With the Lowest Gas Prices in the USA

What does the situation look like in states where gas prices are below the average?

12. With 19.5 cents per gallon, Missouri has one of the cheapest taxes on gas in the US.

(Kansas City) (Kiplinger)

At 19.5 cents per gallon, Missouri residents pay one of the lowest gas taxes in the US. Low gas taxes are among the reasons why Missouri has one of the cheapest gas prices in the United States.

Other states with low taxes on gas include Delaware, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

13. Gas prices in Iowa increased by 60 cents during February 2022.

(CBS2Iowa)

The price of regular gas in Iowa soared up to $3.90 but still remains below the national average. In February, regular gas in Iowa cost around $3.30, whereas in March the price of gas reached $3.90. Compared to one year ago, the 2022 price of gas in Iowa marks a $1.15 rise.

14. North Dakota and South Dakota’s current mid-grade average is around $4 per gallon.

(AAA)

Both South and North Dakota are on the list of states with the lowest gas prices in the USA.

The 2022 mid-grade prices in both states are below the current $4.68 mid-grade average.

AAA statistics show that both states follow similar price trends for diesel and premium gas as well.

15. The cheapest regular gas in Colorado costs around $3.60.

(Fox21News)

The average regular gas is advertised at $3.97 per gallon, while the lowest-priced regular gas in Colorado can be purchased for $3.65.

Costco, every day, and Maverik are the Colorado counties that sell the lowest-priced regular gas in the state.

16. The regular gas price in Arkansas is around 50 cents below the current national average.

(AAA)

In Arkansas, the current regular gas price is around $3.88 per gallon, while the average US regular gas price is around $4.32 per gallon. For comparison, in 2021 the national average was around $2.80 per gallon, while in Arkansas, the average gas price was around $2.60.

The highest ever recorded regular gas price in Arkansas is $3.97. 

17. Compared with 2021, Oklahoma’s regular gas price is higher by $1.13 per gallon.

(Fox25)

In 2021, the state average was around $2.60, whereas this year’s average has reached $3.82 per gallon in March. Still, Oklahoma remains one of the states that offer the cheapest gas in the US. 

18. The current average gas price in Nebraska is $3.90 per gallon.

(Global Petrol Prices) 

The gas price in Nebraska is about 2 dollars higher than the worldwide average gasoline price of $1.32 per gallon. Compared with the US current regular gas average of around $4.30, Nebraska falls in the category of states with the cheapest gas prices in the United States.

19. The highest ever regular gas price recorded in Texas is $4.01.

(Chron)

At $4.01, the highest Texas regular gas price was recorded on March 11th this year.

The highest diesel price in Texas was also recorded in March 2022, only one day later.

However, although these prices are higher than the gas prices recorded in 2021, they still remain below the national regular and diesel average prices in 2022.

What Were Gas Prices Like During 2021?

How much have gas prices changed of late from our 2022 perspective?

20. The average price of regular gas in 2021 was around $2.85.

(AAA Gas Prices) (Automotive Fleet)

The average US gas prices during the first months of 2021 were somewhere around $2.80 for regular gas, while premium and diesel national averages were higher than $3.

During the first week of March 2021, the average gas prices in the US witnessed an increase of 31 cents compared to the previous month, and have continued to grow ever since.

21. Gas prices soared above $3.18 during the last trimester of 2021.

(Personal Capital) (YCHARTS)

Regular gas prices varied around $3.30 towards the end of 2021. Mid-grade, premium and diesel average prices were not much higher than the regular gas price, coming at $3.54, $3.81, and $3.31 per gallon.

Compared to the 2020 average gas prices in the US, the gas prices of the last trimester of 2021 were almost $1 higher.

22. In 2021, California’s Mono County had an average gas price of $5.66.

(The Wall Street Journal) (USA Today)

Reports suggest that Mono County had the highest gas prices out of all other California counties. One of the reasons why California gas prices are as high as they are is the state’s limited access to refineries.

California has long had the highest gas prices in the USA; the average for 2021 was somewhere around $4.70 per gallon.

23. The average price of $71 per barrel of Brent crude oil recorded in 2021 was the highest in the past three years.

(EIA)

At the beginning of 2021, the average Brent crude oil price was $50 per barrel, but by the end of the year, prices increased up to $86 per barrel.

Studies show that in 2021, crude oil production in the US witnessed a decrease of 0.1 million barrels per day compared to the 2020 production.

24. In 2021, diesel cost $3.28 per gallon on average.

(AAA) (EIA)

According to the list of gas and diesel prices by year, in 2021 the average diesel national price was $3.28 per gallon. 

As the highest ever diesel average price reached $5.13 per gallon in 2008, the current $5.11 diesel average marks a drastic rise from last year’s annual diesel price and is about 30 cents short of reaching the highest recorded average price.

25. Oklahoma residents paid $3.37 per gallon of premium gas.

(Balancing Everything)

Residents of Oklahoma paid the least for premium gas during 2021—on average, premium gas prices in Oklahoma during 2021 varied around $3.37 per gallon.

Other states that enjoyed some of the lowest premium gas prices were Missouri and Mississippi, where residents paid $3.39 and $3.41 per gallon.

26. Around 3.21 billion barrels of gasoline were consumed in 2021.

(EIA)

This info provided by the US Energy Information Administration means that around 134.83 billion gallons of gasoline were consumed last year in the US, amounting to daily consumption of 8.80 million barrels.

How Is the Present-Day Fuel Market Affecting Americans?

Let’s see what are the consequences of the prices that today’s fuel market offers.

27. Compared to last year, drivers will spend $1,000 more on fuel during 2022.

(cnet)

If we take the current average US gas price and consider a typical fuel tank, we can roughly calculate the yearly gas expenses. The higher average will affect not only everyday drivers but also individuals who prefer renting a car for trips from some of the best rental car services on the market. It will probably prolong the period needed to buy a car.

With the cost of regular gas being around $4.32 per gallon, it will take around $65 to fill up the tank, meaning average drivers will spend around $280 monthly on gas, or $3,337 a year, which is significantly more than the 2021 yearly total of $2,223.

28. Reports say that 2022 marks some of the highest gas prices in the recent history of the USA.

(Oswego County Today) (npr.org)

According to AAA reports, the 2022 average of $4.32 is the highest gas price ever recorded in USA history, not accounting for inflation. In an effort to help its members stand up against the ongoing rise of gas prices, the IEA announced a release of 60 million barrels, which will be the largest amount of oil the IEA has released since it was founded.

29. Almost two-thirds of Americans think $3.53 per gallon is a high price to pay for gas.

(The Leader Vindicator)

Along with AAA reports showing that more than half of US citizens who took part in the survey said they’d have to reevaluate their driving habits if the national gas prices continue to rise on average, up to three-quarters of the participants thought they might be forced into making different lifestyle choices if gas prices exceed $5. 

Conclusion

Gas prices have been on the rise since 2021 and continue to fluctuate daily, with some states having higher prices due to higher gas tax and limited retail gas supply, such as California and Hawaii, where gas prices are well above average.

Reports show that Americans are worried about the impact of soaring gas prices since statistics show that even states like Kansas and Missouri which enjoy the cheapest gas in the US will endure extra expenses with the 2022 gas price increase.