Gas prices continue to fall across the country as the national average for regular gas decreased to $3.19 per gallon on Thursday, according to AAA. This is the lowest average cost for a gallon of regular gas since Jan. 2024, when it was $3.075.
Other than slight increases at the pumps a week ago, gas prices have been falling since July. As a result, there are now 18 states with an average price for regular gas of under $3 per gallon. These are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Gas prices remain a vital topic heading into the 2024 presidential election. With President Joe Biden deciding not to seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic presidential nominee, has to indicate how she will address the country’s gas prices and energy costs and how both affect the economy and people’s finances.
Despite the recent trend of decreases, gas prices have fluctuated throughout the year and vary significantly among states. Overall, gas prices remain higher than when Trump was in office. Click here to see the cost of gas in different states throughout the country. Read below to see the average prices for a gallon of regular gas in and around Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas slightly decreased in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, coming in at $3.312. This was a drop from Wednesday’s price of $3.318 per gallon. Over the last week, prices have remained steady, with Thursday’s cost coming in only slightly less than a week ago when a gallon of regular gas was also $3.318. However, like states throughout the nation, the gas price in the nation’s capital is much lower than it was a month ago when it was $3.586 per gallon.
Virginia
Virginia has also benefited from the recent trend of decreasing prices as regular gas in the state has dropped to under $3 per gallon, with a cost of $2.988 per gallon. This is less expensive than a week ago when gas was $3.022 per gallon. Thursday’s prices in Virginia are also lower than a month ago when regular gas was $3.193 per gallon. Virginia is now the state with the lowest gas prices in the Delmarva region.
Maryland
Gas prices remained higher than the national average in Maryland on Thursday, with the average price for regular gas sitting at $3.228 per gallon. This was a slight decrease from Wednesday’s price of $3.234 per gallon. However, it is still higher than last week when gas in the state was $3.18 per gallon. Regular gas on Thursday was only slightly less expensive than it was a month ago when it was $3.255 per gallon.
Delaware
Delaware once had the lowest gas prices in the Delmarva region, but after a significant jump last week, that is no longer the case. However, despite these increases, gas prices did ever-so-slightly drop on Thursday, with the new price for a gallon of regular gas sitting at $3.18. On Wednesday, the cost of regular gas was $3.181. This is more expensive than a week ago when regular gas was $3.099 per gallon. It is also more costly than a month ago when Delaware residents paid $3.167 per gallon for regular gas.
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Mississippi
Mississippi remains the state with the least expensive gas in the country, sitting at $2.677 per gallon on Thursday. This was a slight drop from Wednesday’s price of $2.682. A week ago, regular gas was $2.711 per gallon. Gas prices in the state are significantly cheaper than a month ago when residents paid $2.851 for a gallon of regular gas.
California
California has the most expensive gas prices in the nation on Thursday, with a price of $4.669 per gallon for regular gas. Yet, despite these high prices, the state’s gas cost has been falling. Thursday’s price decreased slightly from Wednesday when regular gas was $4.676 per gallon. A week ago, it cost $4.715 for a gallon of gas in the state. However, unlike many states in the nation, gas in California on Thursday is more expensive than a month ago when drivers in the Golden State paid $4.651 per gallon for regular gas.