Where Gas Prices Have Risen the Most in 2022 — And Where They’re Starting to Fall

It’s no secret that gas prices have skyrocketed this year, but costs have tapered off slightly over the past month. Here’s where prices are up the most overall and also where costs are falling the fastest.

Over the past year, increased gas prices have taken a huge toll on Americans’ wallets. Not only is filling up at the pump more expensive than ever, but elevated transportation costs have also raised the prices of almost everything else, from microchips to potato chips. Skyrocketing fuel prices are one of the biggest reasons the U.S. is experiencing record-setting inflation, with the Consumer Price Index rising 9.1% year over year in June 2022.^[1]

While oil and gas costs are now significantly higher than in 2021, recent monthly data is more optimistic. After fuel prices peaked in June of this year, costs have steadily declined over the past month. Experts note that a recent surge in global oil production, coupled with Americans driving less because of exorbitant gasoline costs, has tipped the supply-demand scales toward cheaper prices.

These gasoline price trends are happening across the country, but some areas are experiencing more extreme cost fluctuations than the nation as a whole. To keep drivers informed of America’s volatile fuel costs, the data science team at Insurify, an auto insurance quotes comparison site, analyzed AAA’s most recent gas prices data to identify the 10 states where gas prices have risen the most over the past year and the 10 states where prices have cooled off the fastest over the past month.

Insights

• National averages. Gas prices in the U.S. rose an incredible 44.1% between July 2021 and July 2022. A regular gallon of gasoline now costs $4.47 on average, up from $3.17 just one year prior. However, prices fell 10.3% between June 20 and July 20 of this year and are continuing to decrease from an early-June peak of $5.01 per gallon.

• Shelling out more at the pump. Increased fuel costs are a major reason inflation is currently so high in America. Overall, a gallon of gas costs $1.30 more than it did one year ago. This means that the typical driver is now spending anywhere from $17 to $21 more for every tank of gas in 2022. Five states have seen gas prices rise more than 50% over the past year, and every state has seen gross prices increase by at least $1 per gallon. Cost increases have hit New England especially hard: four of the top five states where gasoline prices have risen the most are in this region.

• Prices cool off in the heat of summer. Fortunately for American motorists, gas prices are showing signs of falling from their peak in June 2022. Many Southern and Midwestern states have seen gasoline costs decrease by at least 10% over the past month. Across the country, a gallon of gas is $0.51 cheaper in July than it was in June 2022. The only state where prices haven’t fallen is Hawaii, where gasoline is actually $0.05 more expensive than it was just one month ago.

Methodology

The data scientists at Insurify, a site that provides options for affordable car insurance, referred to AAA’s gas prices database to identify the 10 states where prices have risen the most over the past year and the 10 states where prices are falling the fastest in July 2022.^[2] They calculated the percent change in the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline between July 20, 2021, and July 20, 2022, and between June 20 and July 20, 2022, for all 50 states. The 10 states with the greatest percent increases year over year were selected for the rising prices list, and the 10 states with the greatest decreases month over month were selected for the falling prices list.

The findings in this article represent statistical trends found in AAA’s gas prices database and in Insurify’s database of over 4.6 million car insurance applications. The findings of this study are not meant to imply the direction nor necessarily the existence of a causal relationship. Rather, this is a presentation of statistical correlations of public interest.

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 47.1%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.18 per gallon (6% lower than national average)

10 States Where Gas Prices Have Risen the Most in 2022

Gasoline costs have increased dramatically across the U.S. over the past year, but prices have skyrocketed in these 10 states. Arizona has been hit hardest of all — with fuel costs rising nearly 53% year over year — making it an outlier among Southwestern states, which have broadly experienced below-average gas price increases over the same time period. New England is another region that’s seen extreme cost increases over the past year, led by Massachusetts’s 52% price spike.

10. Missouri

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 47.1%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.18 per gallon (6% lower than national average)

9. Minnesota

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 47.9%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.44 per gallon (1% lower than national average)

8. Montana

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 47.9%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.74 per gallon (6% higher than national average)

7. Vermont

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 49.5%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.59 per gallon (3% higher than national average

6. West Virginia

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 49.9%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.57 per gallon (2% higher than national average)

5. New Hampshire

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 50.5%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.50 per gallon (1% higher than national average)

4. Rhode Island

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 50.8%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.58 per gallon (2% higher than national average)

3. Maine

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 50.8%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.70 per gallon (5% higher than national average)

2. Massachusetts

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 52.0%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.60 per gallon (3% higher than national average)

1. Arizona

• Average gas price increase from July 2021 to July 2022: 52.8%

• Average July 2022 gas price (regular): $4.79 per gallon (7% higher than national average)

10 States Where Gas Prices Are Currently Falling the Fastest (July 2022)

Though gasoline costs hit an all-time high this June, prices have been steadily falling throughout July. Texas has seen pump prices relax the most, with a gallon of gas costing $0.67 less than it did just one month ago, a 14.5% decrease. Ohio’s average gasoline price is a whopping 13.6% cheaper in July than in June 2022, meaning drivers there are spending $0.68 less per gallon. This works out to savings of about $9 to $11 per tank.

10. Tennessee

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −11.9%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.05 per gallon (9% lower than national average)

9. Virginia

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.0%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.24 per gallon (5% lower than national average)

8. Delaware

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.1%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.35 per gallon (3% lower than national average)

7. Indiana

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.2%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.51 per gallon (1% higher than national average)

6. South Carolina

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.3%

• Average July gas price (regular): $3.98 per gallon (11% lower than national average)

5. Florida

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.7%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.20 per gallon (6% lower than national average)

4. Kentucky

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −12.9%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.12 per gallon (8% lower than national average)

3. Wisconsin

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −13.4%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.20 per gallon (6% lower than national average)

2. Ohio

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −13.6%

• Average July gas price (regular): $4.30 per gallon (4% lower than national average)

1. Texas

• Average gas price decrease from June 2022 to July 2022: −14.5%

• Average July gas price (regular): $3.98 per gallon (11% lower than national average)

If you have any questions or comments about this article or would like to request the data, please contact insights@insurify.com.