- Florida ranks 12th highest in the nation for tax rates on gasoline at 35.23 cents per gallon.
- Each state imposes its own excise tax on top of the federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, with state taxes accounting for anywhere from 2.3% to 16.5% of the total cost of gas.
- Gas prices in the US exceeded $5 per gallon for the first time in June 2022, due to the end of the pandemic and embargoes on Russian oil.
- Gas prices have since fallen but are still higher than pre-pandemic levels, ranging from over $3 to nearly $5 depending on the state.
Last June, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States exceeded $5 for the first time in the nation’s history. The two biggest causes were the gradual end of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, resulting in Western nations imposing embargoes on Russian oil, with the U.S. banning Russian oil entirely in March 2022.
Since then, gas prices have fallen back down, but remain well above any pre-pandemic monthly average going back more than five years. Depending on the state, the average amount Americans are paying at the pump varies from a little over $3 to nearly $5. That variance is largely the result of different transportation and refining costs and, of course, taxes.
While the federal government levies a tax of 18.4 cents on every gallon of gas sold in the United States, each state adds on its own excise tax on top of that. State-imposed gas taxes and fees can account for anywhere from 2.3% of the total cost of gas to 16.5%, depending on where you live.
In Florida, gasoline is taxed at a rate of 35.23 cents per gallon, the 12th highest among states. With a gallon of gas costing an average of $3.58 in Florida in mid-April 2023, state gas taxes account for about 9.8% of the total cost of fuel.
Based on data from the Federal Highway Administration, fuel consumption was around 691 gallons per licensed driver in 2021, meaning the typical motorist spent an estimated $243 in state gas taxes alone that year.
Data on average state gas taxes as of April 2023 from business tax compliance platform IGEN. State gas taxes do not include the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. Supplemental data on the average price of regular gas by state came from AAA and is current as of April 11, 2023. Data on motor fuel consumption and the number of licensed drivers used to calculate annual motor fuel consumption per licensed driver by state came from the Federal Highway Administration and is for 2021.
| Rank | State | Gasoline tax (cents per gal.) | Avg. cost of a gal. of regular gas; April 2023 ($) | State gas taxes as pct. of gas price (%) | State gas tax spending per capita ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 61.10 | 3.70 | 16.5 | 419 |
| 2 | California | 53.90 | 4.89 | 11.0 | 342 |
| 3 | Washington | 49.40 | 4.40 | 11.2 | 284 |
| 4 | Maryland | 42.70 | 3.54 | 12.1 | 295 |
| 5 | Illinois | 42.30 | 3.98 | 10.6 | 296 |
| 6 | New Jersey | 42.10 | 3.40 | 12.4 | 283 |
| 7 | North Carolina | 40.50 | 3.44 | 11.8 | 329 |
| 8 | Ohio | 38.50 | 3.66 | 10.5 | 303 |
| 9 | Oregon | 38.00 | 3.99 | 9.5 | 275 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 37.20 | 3.58 | 10.4 | 433 |
| 11 | Utah | 36.40 | 3.67 | 9.9 | 295 |
| 12 | Florida | 35.23 | 3.58 | 9.8 | 243 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 34.00 | 3.36 | 10.1 | 196 |
| 14 | Indiana | 33.00 | 3.59 | 9.2 | 322 |
| 14 | Montana | 33.00 | 3.31 | 10.0 | 341 |
| 16 | Vermont | 32.37 | 3.45 | 9.4 | 241 |
| 17 | Idaho | 32.00 | 3.55 | 9.0 | 303 |
| 18 | Georgia | 31.20 | 3.38 | 9.2 | 257 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 30.90 | 3.48 | 8.9 | 253 |
| 20 | Maine | 30.00 | 3.43 | 8.8 | 240 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 29.00 | 3.42 | 8.5 | 293 |
| 22 | Michigan | 28.60 | 3.61 | 7.9 | 199 |
| 23 | Minnesota | 28.50 | 3.42 | 8.3 | 224 |
| 24 | Alabama | 28.00 | 3.28 | 8.5 | 298 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 28.00 | 3.32 | 8.4 | 265 |
| 24 | South Dakota | 28.00 | 3.43 | 8.2 | 322 |
| 24 | Virginia | 28.00 | 3.46 | 8.1 | 249 |
| 28 | Iowa | 27.00 | 3.41 | 7.9 | 279 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 26.60 | 3.41 | 7.8 | 274 |
| 30 | Tennessee | 26.00 | 3.31 | 7.9 | 239 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 24.60 | 3.19 | 7.7 | 245 |
| 32 | Kansas | 24.00 | 3.23 | 7.4 | 211 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | 24.00 | 3.35 | 7.2 | 146 |
| 32 | Wyoming | 24.00 | 3.34 | 7.2 | 411 |
| 35 | Delaware | 23.00 | 3.48 | 6.6 | 158 |
| 35 | Nevada | 23.00 | 4.24 | 5.4 | 176 |
| 35 | North Dakota | 23.00 | 3.38 | 6.8 | 294 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 22.20 | 3.30 | 6.7 | 155 |
| 39 | Colorado | 22.00 | 3.50 | 6.3 | 152 |
| 39 | Missouri | 22.00 | 3.26 | 6.7 | 223 |
| 41 | Connecticut | 20.00 | 3.43 | 5.8 | 131 |
| 41 | Louisiana | 20.00 | 3.28 | 6.1 | 176 |
| 41 | Texas | 20.00 | 3.26 | 6.1 | 222 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | 19.00 | 3.28 | 5.8 | 213 |
| 45 | New York | 18.15 | 3.56 | 5.1 | 104 |
| 46 | Arizona | 18.00 | 4.42 | 4.1 | 127 |
| 46 | Mississippi | 18.00 | 3.14 | 5.7 | 221 |
| 48 | New Mexico | 17.00 | 3.55 | 4.8 | 204 |
| 49 | Hawaii | 16.00 | 4.78 | 3.3 | 82 |
| 50 | Alaska | 8.95 | 3.85 | 2.3 | 68 |
Gas prices is tagged into tourism! Every time we travel for a holiday, spring break and schools out the gas price jumps up and slowly returns after we travel? Gouged at the pumps and protected by our elected officials every time!