Gas Affordability by State
Pump prices don’t tell you who’s actually squeezed — incomes vary more than gas does. This ranks every state by the share of median household income that a benchmark year of driving (12,000 miles at 26 MPG, priced at today’s AAA regular average, 10/22/26) would consume. Income: Census CPS ASEC 2024.
Heaviest burden: Mississippi at 3.2% of median income — lightest: Maryland at 1.7%, despite gas there costing $4.05/gal vs $3.87 in Mississippi.
| # | State | Regular | Year of gas | Median income | % of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | $3.87 | $1,785 | $55,980 | 3.2% |
| 2 | West Virginia | $4.23 | $1,952 | $63,150 | 3.1% |
| 3 | New Mexico | $4.29 | $1,980 | $64,140 | 3.1% |
| 4 | Nevada | $5.34 | $2,464 | $80,590 | 3.1% |
| 5 | Louisiana | $3.83 | $1,769 | $60,740 | 2.9% |
| 6 | Kentucky | $3.97 | $1,830 | $64,790 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $3.95 | $1,824 | $65,310 | 2.8% |
| 8 | California | $6.08 | $2,807 | $100,600 | 2.8% |
| 9 | Arkansas | $3.88 | $1,792 | $64,840 | 2.8% |
| 10 | Alabama | $3.86 | $1,783 | $65,560 | 2.7% |
| 11 | Idaho | $4.75 | $2,190 | $81,650 | 2.7% |
| 12 | Michigan | $4.61 | $2,126 | $79,460 | 2.7% |
| 13 | Hawaii | $5.65 | $2,607 | $98,240 | 2.7% |
| 14 | Wyoming | $4.45 | $2,054 | $78,680 | 2.6% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $4.48 | $2,066 | $80,060 | 2.6% |
| 16 | Illinois | $4.67 | $2,155 | $84,210 | 2.6% |
| 17 | Washington | $5.34 | $2,466 | $97,500 | 2.5% |
| 18 | Oregon | $4.90 | $2,263 | $89,700 | 2.5% |
| 19 | Montana | $4.44 | $2,049 | $81,920 | 2.5% |
| 20 | Arizona | $4.56 | $2,103 | $84,700 | 2.5% |
| 21 | Florida | $4.06 | $1,872 | $75,630 | 2.5% |
| 22 | Alaska | $4.89 | $2,255 | $91,260 | 2.5% |
| 23 | South Dakota | $4.25 | $1,962 | $79,850 | 2.5% |
| 24 | North Carolina | $3.55 | $1,639 | $67,220 | 2.4% |
| 25 | Vermont | $4.37 | $2,017 | $85,260 | 2.4% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $4.22 | $1,946 | $82,560 | 2.4% |
| 27 | New York | $4.40 | $2,033 | $86,830 | 2.3% |
| 28 | Ohio | $4.08 | $1,882 | $80,520 | 2.3% |
| 29 | Indiana | $3.88 | $1,790 | $76,710 | 2.3% |
| 30 | Nebraska | $4.35 | $2,009 | $86,140 | 2.3% |
| 31 | Tennessee | $3.82 | $1,765 | $75,860 | 2.3% |
| 32 | Missouri | $3.95 | $1,824 | $78,390 | 2.3% |
| 33 | South Carolina | $3.85 | $1,775 | $76,780 | 2.3% |
| 34 | Iowa | $4.12 | $1,900 | $85,480 | 2.2% |
| 35 | Maine | $4.32 | $1,994 | $90,730 | 2.2% |
| 36 | North Dakota | $4.13 | $1,906 | $88,080 | 2.2% |
| 37 | Delaware | $3.98 | $1,836 | $85,860 | 2.1% |
| 38 | Texas | $3.76 | $1,736 | $81,490 | 2.1% |
| 39 | Minnesota | $4.21 | $1,945 | $92,350 | 2.1% |
| 40 | Georgia | $3.70 | $1,709 | $81,210 | 2.1% |
| 41 | Utah | $4.73 | $2,182 | $104,000 | 2.1% |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $4.18 | $1,931 | $92,290 | 2.1% |
| 43 | Kansas | $3.96 | $1,830 | $87,690 | 2.1% |
| 44 | Connecticut | $4.33 | $1,997 | $99,240 | 2.0% |
| 45 | Virginia | $4.11 | $1,896 | $97,720 | 1.9% |
| 46 | District of Columbia | $4.38 | $2,023 | $104,800 | 1.9% |
| 47 | New Jersey | $4.20 | $1,940 | $103,500 | 1.9% |
| 48 | Colorado | $4.27 | $1,970 | $106,500 | 1.8% |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $4.23 | $1,953 | $111,800 | 1.7% |
| 50 | Massachusetts | $4.24 | $1,958 | $113,900 | 1.7% |
| 51 | Maryland | $4.05 | $1,870 | $109,700 | 1.7% |
About the math
How is the burden calculated?
A fixed benchmark year of driving — 12,000 miles at 26 MPG — priced at each state's current AAA regular average, divided by that state's median household income (Census Bureau CPS ASEC 2024). Drive more or less and your personal number scales proportionally; the state-to-state comparison is the point.
Why do cheap-gas states rank as least affordable?
Because incomes differ more than pump prices do. Mississippi's gas is among the cheapest in the country, but its median household income is the lowest — so a year of driving eats a larger share of the median budget than it does in high-income, high-price states like Washington.
Is this per household or per car?
Per car. Multi-car households carry proportionally more; the single-car benchmark keeps the comparison clean. Income is per household because that's the standard Census affordability denominator.
See also: EV vs gas per mile · price trends · trip calculator