Skyrocketing Gas Prices Have Some US States Paying More Than Others: [Breakdown By State]

Staggering gas prices are impacting drivers, and it is only predicted to increase from here. But depending upon where you live may determine how much more you will pay when you fill up at the pump.

Certain states are already charging much more for gas per gallon than others, which is primarily due to taxes and distribution costs. Gasoline taxes are a combination of state and federal taxes. Federal tax is about 18 cents per gallon, while state tax is determined by each individual state and varies across the county.

California, for example, where state gas tax is the highest in the country at about 87 cents per gallon, has already had some cities report near or over $8 per gallon gas prices.

Alaska, on the other hand, has the lowest state gas tax at around 34 cents per gallon, while states such as Wisconsin, Vermont, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Alabama hover around a state tax of 50 cents per gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute.

Another factor playing a role in gas prices is the cost to get the fuel to the pump from the oil refinery. Gas stations that are closer to refineries and pipelines typically have lower prices, while those that are further away in more remote locations may have higher prices as their transportation costs are more, according to USA Today.

Fuel tracker app GasBuddy spokesperson Nicole Petersen told the news outlet that states like California, Oregon, and Washington, which have less access to refineries, tend to have higher gas prices compared to other parts of the nation, while Southern states that are closer to refineries with lower state taxes have lower prices.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) tracks the national gas price average per gallon by state, which gives a good glimpse into the varying cost differences by region across the U.S. that consumers are paying when filling up.

Currently, gas prices are at an all-time high amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which fuel experts expect to continue on until at least November.

As of Friday, AAA said the 10 cheapest states to find regular unleaded gas are: