The Most Expensive States for Drivers: Where Are People Spending the Most on Gas?
A report analyzed data from all 50 states to determine where drivers are spending the most money on gas. The most expensive state isn’t the one that first popped into your head.
Finding the Most Expensive States for Drivers
Go Banking Rates (GBR), a site that aims to inform consumers about interest rates and banking products and provides information on personal finance, published a study earlier this month to determine which state was the most expensive to refuel.
Analyzing the Data
By using constants from the U.S. Department of Energy, like the fact that drivers range from ages 16 to 77 on average, most cars have 13.5-gallon tanks and achieve an average of 24.4 mpg, GBR was able to determine that most cars go 329.4 miles before needing gas. The GBR researchers analyzed the average number of miles drivers per year from data provided by the Federal Highway Administration.
Calculating the Costs
After extrapolating the data out of a lifetime of miles driven – about 61 years – and dividing it by the full tank figure, they were able to find out how many refuelings on average a driver would need in their lifetime. To come up with an actual cost, researchers looked at data from AAA to determine the average cost per gallon for every state. Taking the lifetime fill-up figures and multiplying them by the average cost per gallon in 2024 allowed them to determine the most expensive state.
Surprising Results
Which, shockingly, was not California. Instead, the most expensive state to refuel a car over a driver’s lifetime was Wyoming. Wyoming drivers spent an average of $201,698.22 in gas over 61 years of driving. Drivers of the Cowboy State also spent the most on gas per year, with an average of $3,306.53.
Wyoming’s Driving Habits
Even with the lowest population figures of all 50 states, Wyomites were found to have the most fill-ups in their lifetime, with nearly 4,500 refuelings. AutoBlog’s interpretation of the data surmised that Wyoming’s vastness helped explain why drivers of the state drove the most miles in the nation. Even Alaska, the largest state in the nation, had lower miles driven per year with 7,369 miles driven compared to Wyoming’s 16,410 in 2014. As of 2019, the average miles driven per year in Wyoming was up to 24,000 miles.
California’s Ranking
California came in second, with drivers spending $167,226.71 in gas over their lifetime behind the wheel.
The Top Five Most Expensive States to Fill
GoBankingRates determined the most expensive states to refuel over a lifetime behind the wheel. Here are the top five most expensive states:
- Wyoming:
- The cost of gas in a lifetime: $201,698.22
- The average annual cost of gas: $3,306.53
- The total average lifetime fill-ups: 4,457
- California:
- The cost of gas in a lifetime: $167,226.71
- The average annual cost of gas: $2,741.42
- The total average lifetime fill-ups: 2,319
- Nevada:
- The cost of gas in a lifetime: $158,450.88
- The average annual cost of gas: $2,597.56
- The total average lifetime fill-ups: 2,596
- Georgia:
- The cost of gas in a lifetime: $158,176.59
- The average annual cost of gas: $2,593.06
- The total average lifetime fill-ups: 3,395
- New Mexico:
- The cost of gas in a lifetime: $156,656.37
- The average annual cost of gas: $2,568.14
- The total average lifetime fill-ups: 3,548
Rhode Island’s Placement
Perhaps not surprising to most is Rhode Island being at the bottom of the list. Rhode Island drivers typically spend about $90,495.69 on gas in their lifetime, with an average annual fuel cost of $1,483.54. The average number of fill-ups in a driver’s lifetime was just 1,845. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, with just 48 miles between the North and South end of the state – which helps explain the lower figures.
Conclusion
It’s interesting to see how gas costs vary across different states, shedding light on the driving habits and expenses of individuals across America. The full list of states can be viewed on GBR’s webpage for the study.