Gas prices are on the decline.
The national average price for a gallon of regular gas dropped on Friday to $3.145, according to AAA.
Friday’s price was a slight decrease from Thursday, when regular gas was $3.152 per gallon. It was also less expensive than a week ago when the fuel costs were $3.18 per gallon. And to complete the trifecta, Friday’s price was lower than a month ago, when a gallon of regular gas cost $3.234.
The biggest sign of relief at the pumps is that Friday’s gas price is significantly lower than at this point last year. In May 2024, the average cost for a gallon of regular gas was $3.641. Most of the decrease in gas prices happened during the summer and autumn of 2024. By December 2024, slightly before Christmas, a gallon of regular gas dropped to $3.011 before slowly creeping up again after the holidays.
Gas prices are a frequent topic in the nation’s political discourse. Democrats want to blame Republicans and vice versa. This was prevalent in the narratives on gas prices with President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. During Biden’s last week in office, gas prices increased, with the national average price for a gallon of regular gas going from $3.065 to $3.125. After Trump’s first week in office for his second term, the average gas price decreased slightly to $3.122.
However, gas prices have fluctuated quite a bit since February and even more so over the past two months. Since then, fuel costs have hovered between $3.05 and $3.27 per gallon. In March, prices fell to $3.078 per gallon before increasing. Gas prices rose to $3.268 per gallon on April 4. The constant increases and decreases are primarily due to multiple geopolitical issues, including wars and tension in the Middle East and tariffs proposed by Trump.
In the U.S., the main determining factor for how much one pays at the pumps is the state, and more specifically, the county, in which one resides. However, for the most part, gas prices vary depending on the region of the country. States on the West Coast have the most expensive gas prices in the nation, while the states with the least costly fuel costs are located near the Gulf of America.
Mississippi has the least expensive average price for a gallon of regular gas, at $2.647. Next is Louisiana, at $2.701. Oklahoma has the next lowest average price, at $2.725, followed by Arkansas, at $2.74, and Tennessee, at $2.744.
California is the state with the most expensive gas prices in the nation and has been for quite some time, with an average statewide cost of $4.849. Given the difference in cost between California’s pricing and the next highest state, the Golden State will continue to have the most expensive prices in the nation.
Hawaii has the next highest average gas price, $4.503, followed by Washington state, $4.269. The next two states have average prices that are slightly below the $4-per-gallon threshold: Nevada, with an average cost of $3.913 per gallon, and Oregon, with a price of $3.899.