California is now not America’s costliest state for gasoline

By Matt Egan | CNN

New York  — Drivers within the state of Washington are celebrating the official begin of summer season with an unwelcome sight: America’s costliest gasoline costs.

The typical price of normal gasoline in Washington state has jumped by 32 cents over the previous month to $4.93 a gallon, in response to AAA. That’s 7 cents forward of California, which is infamous for its excessive costs for all the things, particularly gas.

It’s an uncommon development. California had held the undesirable title of America’s costliest state for gasoline for roughly 95% of the time over the previous couple of years, in response to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation at GasBuddy.

Previous to the previous few days, Washington has by no means been the costliest state for gasoline in information going again to 2005, GasBuddy informed CNN. It’s additionally the primary time over that span that the Pacific Northwest state topped each California and Hawaii.

Though Washington has the very best common worth, gasoline stations close to main California cities are nonetheless charging closely for gasoline. Eight of the highest 10 metro areas in America with the very best worth on the pump are situated in California, in response to AAA.

Nonetheless, some drivers in Washington are paying nicely over $5 a gallon. In King County, the place Seattle is situated, the common for normal gasoline is $5.09 a gallon, in response to AAA. Washington’s Skamania County averages $5.32 a gallon.

Washington state’s common gasoline worth is sort of $2 a gallon above that of America’s most cost-effective state for gas: Mississippi, the place gasoline costs common $3.01 a gallon.

The excellent news is that Individuals are paying loads much less for gasoline than the primary day of summer season final 12 months — even in Washington, the place the common was $5.54 a gallon a 12 months in the past.

Nationally, the common worth for normal gasoline is $3.58 a gallon, down $1.39 from this level final 12 months. That drop displays the plunge in oil costs amid worries concerning the economic system and the Federal Reserve’s battle on inflation. Within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the nationwide common hit a report excessive of $5.02 a gallon final June.

No state has loved an even bigger plunge in gasoline costs than Delaware, the place the state common is down by $1.61 a gallon over the previous 12 months, in response to AAA.

Michigan ($1.59), Indiana ($1.59), California ($1.53), Alaska ($1.53) and Texas ($1.51) have additionally skilled giant worth drops over the previous 12 months.

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