New Report Reveals the States With the Highest and Lowest Gas Prices
Not all states are created equal when it comes to fuel prices.
While travel has been on the rise in recent months, so has the cost of fueling up your vehicle. The national gas price average rose 98 cents between last July and this month, according to AAA. While the overall tendency has been on the upswing, fluctuations do happen and the price tag varies greatly between states.
The U.S. Fuel Index Report, released by Zutobi last month, revealed that the state with the cheapest gas was Mississippi at $2.716 per gallon, followed by Louisiana at $2.718 and Missouri at $2.734. On the other end of the scale, the western states dominated: California was by far the most expensive at $4.165 a gallon, followed by Hawaii at $3.909 and Nevada at $3.612.
The study also broke down the number by how many gallons gas motorists could get for $50 at the pump. In Mississippi, it comes out to 18.41 gallons, with the top 10 being rounded out by Louisiana with 18.40, Missouri with 18.29, Texas with 18.28, Oklahoma with 18.15, Arkansas with 18.11, Alabama and Kansas with 17.65, Minnesota with 17.64, and North Dakota with 17.56.
Additionally, they looked at the states with the greatest changes in price compared to 2000 and 2010. Oregon grew the most, with gas costing $0.97 in 2000, $2.26 in 2010, and $3.41 this year. It was followed by Nevada, with fuel costs at $1.04 in 2000, $2.26 in 2010, and $3.61 this year, and Pennsylvania, with $0.95 in 2000, $2.12 in 2010, and $3.16 this year. The states with the least changes were Illinois at $1.95 in 2000, $3.13 in 2010, and $3.22 this year; New York at $1.72 in 2000, $3.17 in 2010, and $3.07 this year; and Minnesota at $1.58 in 2000, $2.87 in 2010, and $2.83 this year.
To come up with the index, Zutobi measured regular unleaded petrol and sourced current prices from AAA at the end of May 2021 and historical prices from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.