Gas Prices by State: Why a Gallon Costs So Much More in Some States
Prices as of July 21, 2026, per AAA · Updated July 21, 2026
As of July 21, 2026, regular gasoline averages $5.52/gallon in California and $3.34 in Indiana, per AAA; the national average is $4.00 (EIA, week of July 20, 2026). Crude oil costs every state's refiners the same ($2.02/gal at June 2026 WTI prices), so the gap between states comes almost entirely from taxes, fuel specifications, and refining and distribution logistics.
Gasoline prices across the states
Average price for regular, July 21, 2026. Darker means more expensive. Click a state for its full price breakdown.
All states, ranked
| State | Regular ($/gal) | Diesel ($/gal) | State fuel taxes (¢/gal) | vs U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 5.52 | 6.73 | 70.9 | 1.52 above |
| Hawaii | 5.43 | 6.97 | 18.5 | 1.43 above |
| Washington | 5.03 | 5.99 | 59.0 | 1.03 above |
| Alaska | 4.69 | 5.32 | 8.9 | 0.69 above |
| Nevada | 4.66 | 5.50 | 23.8 | 0.66 above |
| Oregon | 4.57 | 5.38 | 40.0 | 0.57 above |
| Arizona | 4.29 | 5.29 | 19.0 | 0.29 above |
| Pennsylvania | 4.20 | 5.52 | 58.7 | 0.20 above |
| Illinois | 4.17 | 5.03 | 66.4 | 0.17 above |
| Montana | 4.16 | 4.78 | 33.8 | 0.16 above |
| New York | 4.16 | 5.50 | 24.9 | 0.16 above |
| Idaho | 4.16 | 4.98 | 33.0 | 0.16 above |
| Vermont | 4.15 | 5.31 | 31.4 | 0.15 above |
| Utah | 4.14 | 5.04 | 39.1 | 0.14 above |
| Connecticut | 4.13 | 5.37 | 25.0 | 0.13 above |
| District of Columbia | 4.13 | 5.51 | 35.3 | 0.13 above |
| Michigan | 4.12 | 5.02 | 48.2 | 0.12 above |
| Wyoming | 4.09 | 4.84 | 24.0 | 0.09 above |
| New Jersey | 4.09 | 5.33 | 45.0 | 0.09 above |
| Rhode Island | 4.08 | 5.21 | 41.1 | 0.08 above |
| Colorado | 4.07 | 4.97 | 29.2 | 0.07 above |
| Massachusetts | 4.06 | 5.31 | 27.5 | 0.06 above |
| Maine | 4.04 | 5.39 | 31.4 | 0.04 above |
| New Hampshire | 4.02 | 5.26 | 23.8 | 0.02 above |
| Maryland | 4.02 | 5.24 | 46.2 | 0.02 above |
| New Mexico | 4.01 | 5.00 | 18.9 | 0.01 above |
| Delaware | 4.00 | 5.19 | 23.0 | in line with |
| South Dakota | 3.92 | 4.72 | 30.0 | 0.08 below |
| Florida | 3.92 | 5.22 | 39.4 | 0.08 below |
| Virginia | 3.91 | 5.17 | 41.6 | 0.09 below |
| Minnesota | 3.90 | 4.91 | 31.9 | 0.10 below |
| Nebraska | 3.90 | 4.72 | 32.7 | 0.10 below |
| Ohio | 3.85 | 4.92 | 38.5 | 0.15 below |
| West Virginia | 3.84 | 4.88 | 35.7 | 0.16 below |
| Iowa | 3.80 | 4.83 | 30.0 | 0.20 below |
| North Dakota | 3.80 | 4.68 | 23.0 | 0.20 below |
| Wisconsin | 3.79 | 4.89 | 32.9 | 0.21 below |
| Georgia | 3.78 | 5.06 | 33.9 | 0.22 below |
| North Carolina | 3.72 | 5.03 | 40.5 | 0.28 below |
| South Carolina | 3.70 | 5.02 | 28.8 | 0.30 below |
| Missouri | 3.69 | 4.59 | 30.0 | 0.31 below |
| Kansas | 3.68 | 4.59 | 25.0 | 0.32 below |
| Arkansas | 3.68 | 4.75 | 25.0 | 0.32 below |
| Alabama | 3.67 | 4.92 | 31.0 | 0.33 below |
| Kentucky | 3.66 | 4.74 | 26.4 | 0.34 below |
| Oklahoma | 3.65 | 4.53 | 20.0 | 0.35 below |
| Tennessee | 3.62 | 4.85 | 27.4 | 0.38 below |
| Texas | 3.62 | 4.80 | 20.0 | 0.38 below |
| Louisiana | 3.59 | 4.81 | 20.9 | 0.41 below |
| Mississippi | 3.59 | 4.81 | 21.4 | 0.41 below |
| Indiana | 3.34 | 5.00 | 54.5 | 0.66 below |
What actually makes a state expensive
- Taxes. State fuel taxes and fees range from 54.5¢ to about 70¢ per gallon (Tax Foundation, 2026), on top of the 18.4¢ federal excise. This is the single largest policy-controlled difference between states.
- Fuel specifications and carbon programs. Some states require special gasoline blends or operate carbon-pricing programs whose costs are embedded in the pump price rather than listed as a tax; each state page itemizes these where they apply.
- Refining and distribution logistics. The West Coast is a largely isolated refining market with no pipeline connection to Gulf Coast refineries, so supply disruptions there raise prices further and for longer.
Prices and state political control
Average pump price and average state fuel tax, grouped by which party holds the governorship and both legislative chambers (July 21, 2026 prices; control as of 2025):
| State government control | States | Avg regular ($/gal) | Avg state fuel tax (¢/gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Democratic | 16 | 4.33 | 38.0 |
| Divided or other | 13 | 4.07 | 31.9 |
| Unified Republican | 22 | 3.80 | 30.1 |
The tax column is most of the story: fuel-tax levels are set by legislatures, and the price gap between the groups closely tracks the tax gap plus state fuel-specification and carbon-program costs itemized on the state pages. Crude oil costs all states the same.
See also gasoline prices by country (the U.S. is among the cheapest in the developed world), EV vs. gas cost by state, and electricity rates by state.
Sources: AAA state averages (pump prices; the industry-standard 50-state series — no government source publishes all-state pump prices), Tax Foundation (state fuel taxes, 2026), EIA (WTI crude, national weekly average). See methodology.