(The Center Square) – Retail gas prices in Florida have dropped 7 cents in one week, according to data from the American Automobile Association.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.15, 6 cents below the national average of $3.21. Friday’s price is 42 cents less expensive than the same time last year, but 11 cents more expensive than the month before.
The least expensive gas can be found in the Panhandle in Okaloosa County, where the average price per gallon is $2.81. The most expensive gas is in extreme southwestern Florida in Monroe County, where the average price on the Overseas Highway is $3.35.
Among the state’s metropolitan areas, the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area is at $2.84 per gallon. The Pensacola and Panama City metros are at $2.88 per gallon.
Tallahassee is $2.95 per gallon on average and Miami $3.08.
West Palm-Boca Raton had the highest prices among the metropolitan areas at $3.30 per gallon. Naples is $3.24, Ocala $3.23 and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater and Sebring each $3.22 per gallon.
Gainesville is $3.21 per gallon on average.
The massive retirement community, the Villages has an average price of $3.20 per gallon as does Lakeland-Winter Haven.
Among other metro areas, gas in the Orlando, Homosassa Springs and Port St. Lucie areas are each $3.19 per gallon. Fort Myers-Cape Coral is $3.18, Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice $3.17 and Jacksonville $3.16.
Daytona Beach, Punta Gorda and Fort Lauderdale are each $3.15. In the Melbourne-Titusville area, the average price is $3.14 per gallon.
According to AAA, the lowest gas prices nationally are in Mississippi at $2.73 per gallon, followed by Tennessee ($2.75), Oklahoma ($2.77), Louisiana ($2.80) and South Carolina ($2.80).
The highest prices are in California at $4.91 per gallon, followed by Hawaii ($4.52), Washington ($4.38), Oregon ($3.99) and Nevada ($3.97).
