The national average price for regular gas increased on Wednesday to start October, climbing to $3.16 per gallon.
The gas price hike marked a one-cent increase from the last day of September, when a gallon of regular gas was $3.15, according to AAA. Despite the slight rise in fuel costs, October started similarly to recent months, falling in the price point range of $3.13 to $3.20, which has been where national average gas prices have fallen since the spring. For example, the national average cost for a gallon of regular gas on Memorial Day weekend in May was $3.18 per gallon. Just a few days later, fuel costs dropped slightly to $3.166 per gallon.
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Suffice it to say that gas prices have fluctuated but have remained steady for months, especially since President Donald Trump’s second term began. Gone are the days of high fuel costs and surging prices of the Biden administration — so far. Look no further than fuel costs over the last month to demonstrate the stability in the market. As mentioned above, Wednesday’s pricing kicked off October with a national average of $3.16 per gallon, an increase from Tuesday’s $3.15 per gallon price point.
Yet, Wednesday’s pricing was still slightly less expensive than fuel costs from a week ago, when the national average was $3.163. Gas prices are cheaper today than a month ago, when the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.19. It’s also more affordable than a year ago, when gas was $3.204 per gallon, according to AAA.
In the contemporary gas price market, analysis experts have used a $3-per-gallon price point as a reasonable cost when evaluating the affordability of nationwide gas prices. With fuel costs remaining steady and less expensive than earlier in the year, the number of states averaging less than $3 per gallon has fluctuated. About mid-September, there were 20 states with average gas prices lower than $3 per gallon, the same as during the last week of August. During the last week of September, that total increased to 24 states, making it nearly half the country with gas prices under $3 per gallon. On Oct. 1, that total dropped to 22 states, according to AAA.
The data mentioned above is indicative of how different parts of the country tend to have different gas prices. For example, while the national average cost for regular gas may be $3.16 per gallon, in places such as the mid-Atlantic region, which includes states such as Pennsylvania and New York, the average price for a gallon of gas in those states is $3.239. Typically speaking, states on the West Coast have the highest gas prices in the nation, while the states with the cheapest gas prices are found near the Gulf of America.
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California has the most expensive gas prices in the country at $4.646, nearly $1.50 higher than the national average. Next is the state of Washington, with an average price of $4.54 per gallon for regular gas. Hawaii is the next highest state at $4.485 per gallon, followed by Oregon at $4.182 and Nevada at $3.904 per gallon.
Oklahoma has the cheapest gas prices in the nation, at $2.65 per gallon. Mississippi is next, with a gallon of regular gas costing $2.704. Louisiana has the country’s third most affordable gas prices, at $2.74 per gallon, tied with Texas. Arkansas is fifth, with a statewide average cost for regular gas of $2.753 per gallon.