(The Center Square) – With 49 of 50 states having lower gas prices today than a year ago, most North Carolinians are at or below the nation’s most popular price of $2.99 per gallon for unleaded regular.
With a low of $2.59 in North Wilkesboro, the state’s average is $3.13 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com. That’s No. 13 among all states, which is led by Georgia and Texas at $2.91 and change.
Patrick De Haan, known on social media as the GasBuddyGuy, on Monday said only Colorado was higher than a year ago for unleaded gas. Michigan was the “big winner,” at 68 cents lower. On Wednesday, De Haan said $2.99 per gallon had eclipsed $3.19 for the most popular price in the country. About 38,000 stations, or 25%, were reporting it.
At the website for the American Automobile Association, the North Carolina average is $3.16. That’s 27 cents better than a month ago and about 16 cents better than a year ago.
Diesel prices have also fallen. AAA says November begins with an average of $4.21 per gallon, an 84-cent drop from a year ago, and about 11 cents from a month ago.
North Carolina this year taxes gasoline at 40.5 cents per gallon, up 2 cents from last year and the fifth-highest in the country. According to IGEN, which analyzes trends of heavily regulated markets, states higher are Pennsylvania (57.6 cents) California (51.1), Washington (49.4) and New Jersey (42.3).