Weekly Gasoline Prices Remain Steady

A gallon of regular unleaded inched higher for the week that ended on May 6 by increasing 1 cent to $2.89, and fleet drivers in the majority of states saw flat or lower prices at the pump.

The national average is now 16 cents higher than a month ago and 8 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA. Prices usually rise around Memorial Day, which represents the start of the summer driving season.

"While gasoline demand remains robust, gasoline inventories built for the first time since early February, which was a surprise, and contributed toward the national average only increasing by a penny," said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. "Today's average is just 8 cents cheaper than the highest pump price of 2019, which was set going into Memorial Day."

For the week, 27 states saw average gasoline prices stay flat or decline. The largest price declines came in Delaware (4 cents), Kentucky (3 cents), and North Carolina (3 cents).

States with the least expensive gasoline include Alabama ($2.50), Mississippi ($2.52), Louisiana ($2.52), South Carolina ($2.53), Arkansas ($2.55), Oklahoma ($2.59), Missouri ($2.59), Tennessee ($2.60), Texas ($2.60), and Kansas ($2.63).

States with the largest weekly changes include Utah (up 14 cents), Idaho (up 9 cents), Florida (up 6 cents), Ohio (up 6 cents), Alaska (up 5 cents), Colorado (up 5 cents), Nevada (up 5 cents), Delaware (down 4 cents), Arizona (up 3 cents), and Kentucky (down 3 cents).

Meanwhile, the average price of a gallon of diesel increase two-tenths of a cent to $3.171, which is flat with a year ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.