Gas Prices by State, Ranked

As of the EIA week of 2026-08-10, regular gasoline averages $4.01 nationally. California is the most expensive published state at $5.43 per gallon; Texas is the cheapest at $3.51 — a spread of $1.92 driven by taxes, fuel blends and distance from refineries.

States, Most to Least Expensive (EIA week of 2026-08-10)

#StateRegular ($/gal)Diesel ($/gal)vs US avg
1 California 5.43 6.62 +1.42
2 Washington 5.06 +1.05
3 Colorado 4.05 +0.04
4 New York 4.04 +0.04
5 Massachusetts 3.96 -0.04
6 Ohio 3.90 -0.11
7 Minnesota 3.84 -0.17
8 Florida 3.79 -0.21
9 Texas 3.51 -0.49

Regional Averages

Region (PADD)Regular ($/gal)vs US avg
East Coast 3.88 -0.12
Midwest 3.82 -0.19
Gulf Coast 3.54 -0.46
Rocky Mountain 4.12 +0.12
West Coast 5.08 +1.07

Official EIA weekly retail prices — the EIA surveys selected large states plus the five PADD regions, not all 50 states. See the full gas-prices page, prices by year, and why prices differ.

State Gas Price FAQ

Which state has the most expensive gas?

Among states the EIA surveys weekly, California has the most expensive regular gasoline at $5.43 per gallon (week of 2026-08-10), versus a national average of $4.01. Texas is cheapest at $3.51.

Why do gas prices vary so much between states?

Three main reasons: state fuel taxes (from about 9¢ to over 68¢ per gallon), fuel specifications (California and some metros require costlier special blends), and distance from refining centers — Gulf Coast states sit next to the refineries, while the West Coast is an isolated market where outages spike prices.

Does the EIA track all 50 states?

No — the EIA's weekly survey publishes a subset of large states plus the five PADD regions; that's what this table shows, from the official government series. For daily crowd-sourced estimates covering every state and county, AAA and GasBuddy are the standard complements.