(The Center Square) — Mississippi remains the state with the lowest average price of gas in the nation.
At $2.97 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, the price has inched up slightly during the July 4th travel week by six-tenths of a cent and remains 31.04% less than the same time last year, according to the American Automobile Association.
Claiborne County in southwest Mississippi had the highest prices in the Magnolia State at $3.42, while Jones County in the Pine Belt had the lowest at $2.84 per gallon.
Jackson had the least expensive gasoline among the state’s four metro areas at $2.93 per gallon, followed by three-county Gulf Coast area at $2.95, Hattiesburg at $2.96 and Southaven-Olive Branch (south of Memphis, Tenn.) at $3.
According to the American Petroleum Institute, Mississippi has the second-lowest state taxes and fees on gasoline (18.79 cents per gallon), second only to Alaska (15.13 per gallon).
The next lowest averages by state were Alabama ($3.07 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline), Louisiana ($3.08), Tennessee ($3.08) and Arkansas ($3.10). Highest states are Washington ($4.98), California ($4.84), Hawaii ($4.72), Oregon ($4.63) and Alaska ($4.30).
Florida ($3.34), Georgia ($3.22) and South Carolina ($3.14) have the highest prices in the Southeast.
