Gas Prices Are Rising Fastest in These 10 States (March 2022)

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No matter where they are or what they drive, everyone in the U.S. is paying more at the pump right now. These ten states have seen the biggest price jumps so far in 2022.

It’s no secret that gas prices have skyrocketed this month. In fact, U.S. prices are at an all time high, climbing to well over $4 per gallon in March after resting between $2 and $3 per gallon over much of the past decade.

Several factors are contributing to these abrupt price spikes and record-high costs. International sanctions against Russia, the world’s third-largest producer of oil and natural gas, following its invasion of Ukraine in February have curtailed global supply and raised prices significantly over the past month. Additionally, growing levels of inflation in the U.S. have increased the cost of everyday goods, including gas.

While gas prices are rising across the country, some states are experiencing record-setting price jumps. To inform drivers on where to adjust their budgeting expectations accordingly, Insurify ’s team of data scientists analyzed AAA’s most recent Gas Prices data to identify the ten states where gas prices are climbing the fastest this year.

Insights

• National averages. Gas prices in the U.S. rose a whopping 22.5% between February 16 and March 16, 2022. In March, a regular gallon of gas costs $4.31, on average, up from $3.51 just one month prior.

• Prices are rising fast everywhere. Everyone in America is shelling out more at the pump right now. Nine states have seen gas prices rise at least 25% in the past month, meaning residents there are spending anywhere from $11 to $15 more at the gas station each time they fill up. Even residents in Hawaii, which has experienced the smallest increase in gas costs over the past month, are still paying 13.3% more for gas.

• Fuel-efficient cars help drivers weather the storm. Despite the growing popularity of SUVs, small, fuel-efficient sedans like the Nissan Altima and the Honda Civic are the most commonly driven vehicles in 8 of the 10 states where gas prices are rising the fastest. Compared to a Ford F-Series pickup, the most popular car in America overall, owners of these sedans are saving anywhere from 44% to 68% on gas per mile driven. On average, this works out to saving up to $36.20 per tank.

Methodology

The data scientists at Insurify, an auto insurance comparison site, referred to AAA’s Gas Prices database to identify the ten states where gas prices are rising the fastest in March 2022. Insurify’s data scientists calculated the percent increase in the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline between February 16 and March 16, 2022 for all 50 states. The ten states with the greatest percent increases were selected for the list.

Data on the most popular vehicle in each state comes from Insurify’s 2022 Most Popular Cars in America report.

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.

10 States Where Gas Prices Are Rising Fastest in 2022

10. Arizona

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 24.7%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.62 per gallon (7% higher than national average)

• Most popular car: Ford F-Series Pickup

Grand Canyon State drivers are paying over $0.90 more per gallon at the pump than they were just a month ago, meaning prices have increased by 24.7%. Arizona motorists are also more likely to drive a Ford F-Series pickup truck than any other vehicle, meaning that gas isn’t taking them as far, either. While a 2022 Ford F-150 averages 25 mpg — which is not bad for a pickup truck — it’s still the least fuel-efficient vehicle among all the cars most popular in states where gas prices are rising the fastest.

9. Mississippi

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.0%

• Average March gas price (regular): $3.98 per gallon (8% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Mississippi drivers have seen prices rise a whopping 25% over the past month (though are still spending 8% less on gas than the average American driver). For context, anyone who drives a Nissan Altima — the most popular vehicle in the state — is now paying almost $13 more to fill up their tank than they were in February.

8. Louisiana

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.6%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.13 per gallon (4% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Like their Mississippi neighbors, drivers in Louisiana are ponying up at the pump, spending over 25% more on gasoline than they did just a month ago. Prices jumped a full $0.84 per gallon between February and March of 2022.

7. Ohio

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.8%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.06 per gallon (6% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Honda Civic

Though Ohio drivers are still paying less for gas than the national average, prices in the state have shot up at the seventh-highest rate in the nation over the past month. Fortunately, Buckeye State motorists most commonly drive a Honda Civic, which is one of the most fuel efficient cars on the road. The 2022 model’s 42 highway mpg helps Civic owners squeeze the most out of every gallon.

6. Michigan

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.9%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.22 per gallon (2% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Chevrolet Malibu

The automobile capital of the country is seeing gas prices skyrocket this month: a gallon of regular gasoline now costs 25.9% more than it did in February. With prices now well over $4 per gallon, perhaps Michigan drivers will be more open to considering new electric alternatives, like the all-electric Ford F-150, from America’s Detroit-based auto manufactures.

5. Indiana

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.0%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.22 per gallon (2% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Chevrolet Malibu

It’s March Madness in the Hoosier State, both for college basketball and at the gas station. Gas prices rose an even 26% between February and March, causing the statewide average to hit $4.22 per gallon of regular gasoline.

4. Alabama

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.3%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.13 per gallon (4% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

A gallon of regular gas now costs $4.13 in Alabama, which means prices have risen a colossal $0.86 per gallon in just one month. This 26.3% increase is the fourth-highest jump in the U.S. over the past month.

3. Georgia

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.6%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.27 per gallon (1% lower than national average)

• Most popular car: Honda Accord

Fuel prices are up in the Peach State, with gas now costing 26.6% more per gallon than it did in February. Anyone filling up their Honda Accord, the most common car in the state, should prepare to spend an extra $13.32 every time they visit the pump.

2. Nevada

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 27.7%

• Average March gas price (regular): $5.01 per gallon (16% higher than national average)

• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Nevada drivers have had it rough recently. Not only have gas prices increased by nearly 28% over the past month, they’re also 16% higher than the national average. This means that Silver State motorists are shelling out over $5 per gallon — the third-highest state average in the country.

1. Utah

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 29.6%

• Average March gas price (regular): $4.36 per gallon (1% higher than national average)

• Most popular car: Ford F-Series Pickup

Utah gas prices have shot up by nearly 30% since February, the biggest hike of any state in the nation. Since the Ford F-Series Pickup is the most popular car in the state, this price jump is having an especially large impact on the typical Utah driver, too. A 2022 F-150 has a 23-gallon tank, so its owners are now spending an additional $22.77 — not a trifle sum — every time they fill up.

Sources

• USA Today. “ Gas prices are the most expensive in US history, breaking record from 2008.” Accessed March 2022.

• Statista. “ Retail price of regular gasoline in the United States from 1990 to 2021.” Accessed March 2022.

• U.S. Energy Information Administration. “ What countries are the top producers and consumers of oil? ” Accessed March 2022.

• Statista. “ Monthly 12-month inflation rate in the United States from February 2021 to February 2022.” Accessed March 2022.

• AAA. “ Gas Prices.” Accessed March 2022.

• Insurify. “ The Most Popular Cars in America (2022).” Accessed March 2022.

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