Banking, finance, and taxes

See Exactly How Much Each State Taxes Your Gas

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March doesn’t just mean the beginning of spring and the peak of college basketball madness. It is also the month when oil refineries begin transitioning from winter gasoline production to the legally required summer fuel blend. This blend produces lower levels of evaporative emissions during the warmer summer weather, but it also costs more to produce. That rise in production cost is, of course, passed on to consumers at the gas pump. However, this more eco-friendly gasoline blend is not the only reason your spring and summer road trips will cost more. Every gallon of fuel you purchase is also taxed, but gasoline tax rates can vary widely from state to state.

Gas taxes are not as simple as they may seem. It is certainly not one flat tax. Instead, gasoline taxes are a combination of excise taxes, operational taxes, fees imposed by wholesalers, and so forth. However, as complex as gas taxes may be, the end result is very straightforward: higher gas prices for American drivers. (And if you want to Marty McFly back in time, here is a look at the price of gasoline through the decades.)

Gas Taxes

Gas pump
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Do you know how much you are paying in taxes each time you fill your tank?

Using information provided by The Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit organization, 24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the total taxes and fees charged per gallon of gasoline in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

The average tax per gallon of gas in the U.S. is just over 32.5¢. However, to illustrate just how disparate these taxes can be, the difference between the states with the lowest and highest gas tax rates is 68.95¢ per gallon!

Taxes, of course, are only part of determining the total price for a gallon of gas in any locality. But, while it won’t explain the total cost at the pump, consumers can use this list to see just how much of their gasoline budget goes to pay taxes each time they fill their tanks.

Here is the list of the per-gallon gas taxes in all U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The states are ranked from the lowest to the highest gas taxes.

51. Alaska

American and Alaska flag waving in a slight breeze in front of State Court house in Fairbanks, AK.
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Alaska as the lowest gas tax in the U.S. by far.
  • Gas Tax: 8.95¢ per gallon

50. Missouri

St. Louis downtown city skyline at twilight.
f11photo / iStock via Getty Images
Looking for the lowest gas tax in the Lower 48? Head to the Show-Me State.
  • Gas Tax: 17.47¢ per gallon

49. Mississippi

Jackson, Mississippi, USA cityscape at dusk.
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Mississippi has the lowest gas tax in the Deep South.
  • Gas Tax: 18.4¢ per gallon

48. Hawaii

Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head Crater including the hotels and buildings in Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu island, Hawaii. Waikiki Beach in the center of Honolulu has the largest number of visitors in Hawaii
okimo / iStock via Getty Images
While the cost of living can be quite high in Hawaii, the gas tax is remarkably low.
  • Gas Tax: 18.5¢ per gallon

46. (tied) Arizona

Phoenix skyline at sunset
4kodiak / E+ via Getty Images
Temperatures in Arizona are hot, but the gas tax rate is rather cool.
  • Gas Tax: 19¢ per gallon

46. (tied) New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA downtown skyline at dusk.
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
New Mexico’s gas tax is identical to Arizona’s, its neighbor to the west.
  • Gas Tax: 19¢ per gallon

45. Texas

Welcome to Texas State Sign
Nick Fox / Shutterstock.com
It turns out that everything is NOT bigger in Texas. The state’s gas tax rate is rather small compared to the rest of the nation.
  • Gas Tax: 20¢ per gallon

44. Louisiana

Louisiana State Capitol
stuseeger / Flickr
The Louisiana Capitol stands tall, but the state’s gas tax doesn’t rise nearly as high.
  • Gas Tax: 20.93¢ per gallon

42. (tied) Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek
DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Delaware’s gas tax is well below the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 23¢ per gallon

42. (tied) North Dakota

North Dakota state capitol building in Bismarck, ND.
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North Dakota is some 1,200 miles from Delaware, but the two states have the exact same gas tax rate.
  • Gas Tax: 23¢ per gallon

41. Nevada

Las Vegas sign
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
You might lose a lot of money in Las Vegas, but it won’t be because of Nevada’s gas tax which is among the lowest in the nation.
  • Gas Tax: 23.81¢ per gallon

40. New Hampshire

Nashua is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire and is the second largest city in the state
DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
New Hampshire has the lowest gas tax in New England.
  • Gas Tax: 23.83¢ per gallon

39. Colorado

Colorado | Maroon Bells autumn aspen trees,lake reflections,Aspen Colorado
Ron and Patty Thomas / E+ via Getty Images
The Rockies rise high but Colorado’s gas tax rate is rather low.
  • Gas Tax: 23.86¢ per gallon

38. Wyoming

Straight paved red asphalt at Powder River Road in Gillette, Wyoming
raksyBH / iStock via Getty Images
Wyoming is the least-populous state in the U.S. and has a lower-than-average gas tax.
  • Gas Tax: 24¢ per gallon

37. Arkansas

Little Rock is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas.
DenisTangneyJr / iStock via Getty Images
Gas taxes won’t cost you a whole lot in Little Rock.
  • Gas Tax: 24.9¢ per gallon

36. Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA downtown skyline at twilight.
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Oklahoma’s gas tax will cost you exactly one George Washington per gallon (the quarter, not the dollar bill!).
  • Gas Tax: 25¢ per gallon

35. Kansas

Kansas State Capitol in Topeka during bright day
ginosphotos / iStock via Getty Images
Kansans pay just over 25¢ a gallon in gasoline tax.
  • Gas Tax: 25.03¢ per gallon

34. Massachusetts

Downtown Boston Skyline along the Boston Harbor Waterfront. Photo taken along the harborwalk in the  South Boston southie neighborhood. The Boston cityscape is a mixture of old and new buildings. Boston is the capital and largest city in Masssachusetts. Boston is the largest city in New England
DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
The cost of living in Boston is rather high, but Massachusetts’ gas tax is below the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 27.07¢ per gallon

33. Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park sign
Missvain / Wikimedia Commons
Tennessee is home to the most visited National Park in the nation (shared with North Carolina), along with a pretty reasonable gas tax rate.
  • Gas Tax: 27.4¢ per gallon

32. Minnesota

Minnesota | Aerial view of Minneapolis and the Lowry Avenue bridge
jimkruger / E+ via Getty Images
Minnesota drivers pay a gas tax a little less than the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 28.6¢ per gallon

31. South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
South Carolinians pay close to 29¢ per gallon in gas taxes.
  • Gas Tax: 28.75¢ per gallon

30. Nebraska

Omaha downtown skyline during Autumn, with a lake at the Heartland of America Park in the foreground
Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images
Nebraska drivers pay a middle-of-the-road gas tax rate compared with the rest of the country.
  • Gas Tax: 29.9¢ per gallon

28. (tied) Iowa

Iowa state of United States flag on flagpole textile cloth fabric waving on the top sunrise mist fog
Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
Iowans need three dimes to pay their per-gallon gasoline tax.
  • Gas Tax: 30¢ per gallon

28. (tied) South Dakota

South Dakota sign
wellesenterprises / iStock via Getty Images
South Dakota and Iowa share the same gas tax rate.
  • Gas Tax: 30¢ per gallon

27. Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky, USA skyline on the river.
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
The Ohio River separates Louisville, Kentucky from Indiana, but the gas taxes are far cheaper on the Kentucky side of that waterway.
  • Gas Tax: 30.1¢ per gallon

26. Alabama

Fishing pier at sunset, Gulf Shores, Alabama
Veni / E+ via Getty Images
Planning a trip to Gulf Shores this summer? Alabama’s gas tax is close to the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 31.2¢ per gallon

25. Maine

Aerial view of Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine and a popular tourist destination.
Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
Maine is breathtaking, but its gas taxes are in the middle of the pack.
  • Gas Tax: 31.4¢ per gallon

24. Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia, USA Downtown Skyline Aerial.
Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Georgia drivers pay a gas tax that is almost right at the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 31.95¢ per gallon

23. Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA downtown city skyline on Lake Michigan at twilight.
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
Wisconsin is the first state whose gas tax rises above the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 32.9¢ per gallon

22. Idaho

View of Boise downtown and Idaho Capitol on a fine autumn morning as seen from Capitol Blvd, Boise, Idaho, USA
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Idahoans enjoy a ruggedly beautiful state, but higher than average gas taxes.
  • Gas Tax: 33¢ per gallon

21. Montana

Throughout eastern Montana, including the eastern tier of counties, smooth brome dominates the roadsides, pastures, and landscapes. This grass is grown for forage and hay and escapes commonly along the roads and elsewhere. Smooth brome is perhaps the most common species throughout much of Montana.
plant_diversity / Flickr
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the nation, but you’ll pay higher gas taxes to drive through Big Sky Country.
  • Gas Tax: 33.75¢ per gallon

20. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. in the spring
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
It probably comes as no surprise that the gas tax in Washington, D.C. is higher than the national average.
  • Gas Tax: 33.8¢ per gallon

19. Vermont

Peak autumn foliage near rural Waits River in Vermont
DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Even when refineries switch away from the summer blend in the fall, Vermonters will still pay a higher-than-average gasoline tax.
  • Gas Tax: 34.52¢ per gallon

18. Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island, USA park and skyline.
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
Rhode Islanders will need a quarter and a dime to pay the tax on a gallon of gas.
  • Gas Tax: 35¢ per gallon

17. Utah

Utah | Delicate Arch, Utah
pedrosz / Flickr
Utah’s scenery is amazing, but its gas tax rate is less lovely.
  • Gas Tax: 35.15¢ per gallon

16. Florida

Captiva, Florida | Lingering sun
lorihowesm / Flickr
Florida is the most-visited state in the nation. Visitors might be surprised by its higher gasoline tax than their home states, though.
  • Gas Tax: 35.23¢ per gallon

15. Connecticut

Hartford, Connecticut at night | Hartford Connecticut
DenisTangneyJr / E+ via Getty Images
Connecticut has the highest gasoline tax rate in New England.
  • Gas Tax: 35.75¢ per gallon

14. Oregon

A beautiful fall sunset in Downtown Portland in the Pacific Northwest
jbentley09 / iStock via Getty Images
While Oregon’s gas tax is above the national average, it is still the cheapest among the three West Coast states.
  • Gas Tax: 36¢ per gallon

13. New York

New York | The skyline of New York City, United States
StockByM / iStock via Getty Images
Given the high cost of living in New York, it may surprise you to know that 12 states have a higher gas tax rate than The Empire State.
  • Gas Tax: 36.7¢ per gallon

12. West Virginia

West Virginia | New River Gorge, West Virginia, USA autumn morning
Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in the U.S., but it also features one of the higher gas taxes.
  • Gas Tax: 37.2¢ per gallon

11. Maryland

Baltimore Maryland MD Inner Harbor Skyline Aerial.
Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
Maryland residents pay more than 37¢ in tax per gallon of gas.
  • Gas Tax: 37.3¢ per gallon

10. Ohio

Aerial view of Downtown Columbus Ohio with Scioto river during sunset
espiegle / iStock via Getty Images
Residents of the Buckeye State won’t enjoy knowing they are in the top ten for the highest gas tax rates.
  • Gas Tax: 38.5¢ per gallon

9. Virginia

Richmond, Virginia, USA downtown skyline.
SeanPavonePhoto / iStock via Getty Images
The Commonwealth of Virginia has the ninth-highest rate for gasoline taxes in the U.S.
  • Gas Tax: 39.1¢ per gallon

8. North Carolina

Drone Aerial of Downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, NC, USA Skyline.
Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images
North Carolina is the first state on the list to exceed 40¢ per gallon in gas taxes.
  • Gas Tax: 40.75¢ per gallon

7. New Jersey

Dusk falls on the Urban Downtown Metro Area of Newark New Jersey
ChrisBoswell / iStock via Getty Images
New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation and the seventh-highest gasoline tax.
  • Gas Tax: 41.4¢ per gallon

6. Michigan

Lighthouse overlooking the beach, water, and sand along the shore of Lake Michigan, "Big Sable" light in Ludington, MI, USA.
catnap72 / Getty Images
If you’re planning a trip to one of Michigan’s many beaches this summer, budget a little extra for the state’s high gasoline tax.
  • Gas Tax: 47.2¢ per gallon

5. Washington State

Moon over Spokane, Washington
Ed Jackson / iStock via Getty Images
Washington State is in the top five for the highest gas tax in the U.S.
  • Gas Tax: 49.4¢ per gallon

4. Indiana

Indiana Statehouse and Indianapolis skyline on a sunny afternoon.
Ultima_Gaina / iStock via Getty Images
It may surprise you to learn that four of the top ten states with the highest gas taxes are in the Midwest, such as Indiana.
  • Gas Tax: 54.4¢ per gallon

3. Pennsylvania

Philadelphia downtown skyline with blue sky and white cloud
gangliu10 / iStock via Getty Images
Pennsylvania’s gas tax is well north of 60¢ per gallon.
  • Gas Tax: 62.2¢ per gallon

2. Illinois

Chicago skyline aerial drone view from above, lake Michigan and city of Chicago downtown skyscrapers cityscape, Illinois, USA
JaySi / iStock via Getty Images
Illinoisans pay a very high gas tax, but it’s not the highest in the nation.
  • Gas Tax: 66.5¢ per gallon

1. California

Aerial image of downtown Los Angeles, California at night
adamkaz / E+ via Getty Images
California has the highest gasoline tax in the U.S. and it’s not even close.
  • Gas Tax: 77.9¢ per gallon

 

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