Gas prices: An increase at the pumps in the middle of the workweek

Gas prices jumped on Wednesday, marking the first time there has been a rise in the cost of gas in over a week. The average cost for a gallon of regular gas is now $3.361, according to AAA . This was an increase from the price on Tuesday’s price for regular gas, which was $3.35.

Wednesday's increase was still less expensive than last week, when it cost $3.398 per gallon for regular gas. It is also less expensive than a month ago, when the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the country was $3.506.

Gas prices remain a vital topic heading into the 2024 presidential election . With President Joe Biden deciding not to seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris , now the Democratic presidential nominee, will have to indicate how she will address the country’s high gas prices and energy costs and how both affect the economy and people’s finances.

While prices have fluctuated in 2024, they have decreased in recent weeks and months. Nevertheless, gas prices remain significantly higher than when former President Donald Trump was in office.

Gas prices vary significantly among states. To see how expensive gas is in each state, click here . Here are the gas prices for a gallon of regular-grade gas in and around Washington, D.C.

Unlike the average price of gas in the country, prices dropped in Washington on Wednesday, continuing a trend established last week, with the exception of a very slight increase on Tuesday. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Washington in the middle of the week before Labor Day weekend is $3.614. This was a decrease from Tuesday's price of $3.615. Wednesday's price is less expensive than last week, when the cost was $3.65 per gallon, and a month ago, when it was $3.698.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Maryland on Wednesday is $3.285. This was a slight drop from Tuesday's cost, which was $3.286. It's also less expensive than a week ago, when a gallon of regular gas in Maryland was $3.359 and a month ago, when regular gas was $3.482 per gallon. Prices are substantially cheaper today than a year ago, when regular gas in Maryland was $3.732 per gallon.

Gas prices in Delaware continue to be the lowest in the region on Wednesday, with a price of $3.186 per gallon. This dropped from last week, when the average cost for a gallon of regular gas was $3.277. Prices are significantly cheaper than a month ago, when residents of the First State were paying $3.387 per gallon for regular gas. A year ago, gas was much more expensive, when a gallon of regular gas cost people in the state $3.66.

On Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Virginia is $3.231, a slight increase from Tuesday's cost of $3.225. Despite the increase, a gallon of regular gas in Virginia was cheaper than what it cost last week, when the price was $3.274 per gallon. It's also less expensive than a month ago, when regular gas in Virginia was $3.393. Additionally, prices are cheaper today than a year ago, when regular gas was $3.626 per gallon.

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Mississippi reclaimed the honor of having the least expensive gas prices in the country on Wednesday, with a cost of $2.89 per gallon. On Monday, Oklahoma held this distinction, dethroning Mississippi from the honor it held for most of the year of being the state with the cheapest gas prices in the nation. Wednesday's price was a slight drop from Tuesday's cost of $2.893 per gallon and Monday's price of $2.896 per gallon. Oklahoma's pricing, meanwhile, rose to $2.924.

Hawaii remains the state with the most expensive gas in the nation, with an average price for regular gas at $4.664 per gallon on Wednesday. Prices are actually more expensive today in the Aloha State than a week ago, when regular gas was $4.654 per gallon. Yet, a month ago, regular gas was actually cheaper in Hawaii, costing Hawaiians $4.662 per gallon.