Ohio gas prices continue to tumble

(The Center Square) – Ohio gas prices continue to plummet, dropping more than 50 cents in the past month and more than $2 from an historical high two years ago.

According to the American Automobile Association, the state’s average price per gallon is $2.97 for the first time in nearly a year.

The fall follows a national trend that saw the national average dip 6 cents a gallon to $3.24. The reason, according to experts, is decreased demand and falling oil costs.

“There are an ever-increasing number of states east of the Rockies that have some retail gas locations selling regular for under $3 a gallon, so drivers will have more in their wallets with autumn approaching,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “Should the national average fall below $3, it will be the first time since May 2021.”

The average Ohio price is down 2 cents from Thursday and 17 cents from last week. A month ago, the average price in the state was $3.49, while motorists paid $3.51 a year ago.

The state’s highest prices came in June 2022, when the average price was $5.07 a gallon.

The state's lowest-priced area is a string of 14 counties in western Ohio, extending from the Ohio River to nearly Michigan. Prices range from $2.70 to $2.90 a gallon.

The most expensive gas can be found in southeastern Ohio, where a group of six counties continues to average more than $3.06, and a cluster of eight counties from the Pennsylvania border to north central Ohio with the same average.

Ohio has had the most significant fall in the past week, dropping 17 cents a gallon. But that wasn’t enough to crack the nation's top 10 least expensive states.

Mississippi's prices, at $2.76, rank the lowest in the country, followed by Tennessee ($2.78), Texas ($2.79), South Carolina ($2.80), Alabama ($2.82), Oklahoma ($2.83), Louisiana ($2.86), Kentucky ($2.87), Arkansas ($2.88) and Missouri ($2.93).