(The Center Square) – Gas prices in Kentucky remain among the cheapest in the country, but even the Bluegrass State is seeing the cost to fill up climb.
According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.502 in Kentucky Thursday. That was up more than five cents from Wednesday and nearly 30 cents higher than what motorists paid here a month ago.
The average price in Kentucky still remains significantly cheaper than the national average of $3.828. That is up 28.5 cents from this time in July.
AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said the national average has plateaued for more than a week, and its uncertain which way prices will go.
“The summer heat that kept people home and suppressed refinery production has eased for now, so we have to look at the cost of oil to determine if the recent price climb is ending,” he said. “More expensive oil will likely lead to higher prices, so stay tuned.”
Further increases in gas costs could provide another blow for consumers, especially as the 12-month consumer price index for July showed prices of all goods have risen 3.2% from a year ago, with food costs up 4.9% over that timeframe.
While roughly $1.30 lower than the record high prices from June 2022, Kentuckians are still seeing prices similar to what they paid a year ago, when the average rate was $3.614.
Kentucky’s average is the eighth-lowest nationally, but AAA’s data shows a significant swing between the counties with the lowest and highest prices.
Bell County, in the state’s southeastern corner, has the lowest average price at $3.236. That is 16.5% cheaper than the cost in Jefferson County. Motorists in the state’s most populous county were paying, on average, $3.771 on Thursday.
Only one of Kentucky’s neighbors had a lower average price. Tennessee gas stations were charging $3.435, the fourth-lowest in the U.S. The price was $3.58 in West Virginia, while Ohioans paid $3.596. Indiana’s average was $3.744, and Illinois had the highest in the region at $4.056.
Nationally, California’s average price of $5.09 is the highest, while Mississippi’s $3.314 is the lowest cost.
