Taxes at the Pump


Just a brief afternoon note (for no good reason) about taxes on gasoline. For years I have been crossing the state line from Kansas to Missouri to buy gas because of the difference in the tax on a gallon of petrol. A few observations from the map:
  • Alaska: 26.4¢/g - the lowest tax.. no other state is close
  • California: 67.0¢/g - the highest tax
  • Hawaii: 63.5¢/g - second highest tax
  • Kansas: 43.4¢/g - haven't bought much gas there lately
  • Missouri: 35.7¢/g - why I rarely buy gas in Kansas
  • New York: 63.3¢/g - overtaxed state of my birth
Interesting to note where the blue, gold and red states are located on the map.
I feel pretty fortunate to buy gas cheaper because Missouri doesn't overtax us at the pump. Where does your state fit? Above or below average tax rates?

5 comments:

  1. Regular Unleaded, 87 Octane here in Longview, WA is 2.99 today. It has dropped over the last 14 days from 3/15. The 16 cent drop is good but still needs to drop back to about 2.50.

    However, I use to buy gas for .25 cents a gallon back in 1970-1971 at a Hudson Station in San Jose, CA. I use to fill up a 10 gallon tank on a 1963 Pontiac Tempest for 2.50.

    ReplyDelete
  2. South Carolina is one of the lower tax states. We're paying $2.31 for regular unleaded in our area.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Does anyone else find it interesting that the red states on this map have been blue states politically as of late?

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Gregg - I remember buying gas for 19¢/g when I first got my license in NYC. Seems like gas stayed under a dollar for a long time.

    @co_heir - We in Kansas City are paying around $2.50/g for gas. I wonder why you are paying 20¢/g less that us since our tax per gallon is so similar to SC.

    @coach - I wondered the same thing. Some of these states seem to embrace a more left leaning governmental philosophy. Not sure what exactly the huge differences are between California and Alaska except in the differences in the number of state highways that need to be maintained.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Woohoo! VA is in the top 10. Doesn't make a trip to the pump all that less painful, but something to rejoice in. :D

    ReplyDelete

I love to get comments and usually respond. So come back to see my reply. You can click here to see my comment policy.