(KTLA) – California drivers may not take much comfort in this news, but the Golden State no longer has the most expensive gasoline in the United States.
Over the past week, the average cost of regular unleaded in Washington State has reached $4.97 per gallon as of Saturday, topping California ($4.84 per gallon) by 13 cents, according to the latest AAA analysis.
Both states are still well above the national average of just under $3.58 per gallon.
Perhaps more notable is how much lower fuel prices are compared to a year ago, when Californians were paying a whopping $6.38 per gallon on average.
“Drivers are benefitting financially, with 20 gallons of gas costing nearly $30 less than last year. And with the cost for oil low, drivers will find pump prices that are flat or drifting slightly lower for now,” said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a mid-June blog post.
Gross noted, however, that the nation may simply be “in a bit of a demand lull heading into the July Fourth holiday.”
As of Saturday, Hawaii had the third-most expensive gas prices in the nation, averaging $4.72 per gallon, with Oregon ($4.63 per gallon) and Nevada ($4.25) rounding out the five most expensive states, according to the AAA.
The cheapest state to buy gas, on average, was Mississippi, at just over $3.00 per gallon as of Saturday.
