Gas prices: 15 states now at under $3 per gallon

Gas prices decreased once again on Friday, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas dropping to $3.23, according to AAA .

The price of regular gas has been falling for weeks now, dropping from the year’s highest price in April, when the national average was $3.611 per gallon , to the monthly average in August, which was $3.389 per gallon. Friday’s current price is the lowest national average for a gallon of regular gas since February, when it was $3.212 per gallon.

The decrease in gas prices throughout the country has resulted in 15 states having an average price under $3 per gallon for regular gas: Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Gas prices remain a vital topic heading into the 2024 presidential election . A recent commercial by former President Donald Trump focused on high gas prices throughout the country. With President Joe Biden deciding not to seek reelection, Vice President Kamala Harris , now the Democratic presidential nominee, has to indicate how she will address the country’s gas prices and energy costs and how both affect the economy and people’s finances.

Despite the recent trend of decreases, gas prices have fluctuated throughout the year and vary significantly among states. Overall, gas prices still remain higher than when Trump was in office.

Below are the prices for a gallon of regular-grade gas in and around Washington, D.C. Click here to see the cost of gas in different states throughout the country.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Virginia on Friday is $3.073. This was a decrease from a week ago, when regular gas cost $3.162 per gallon. Friday's price in Virginia is also lower than a month ago, when the cost of gas was $3.34 per gallon. Moreover, Friday's cost for regular gas is significantly cheaper than a year ago, when a gallon of regular gas in Virginia was $3.578.

The average price for regular gas in Maryland dropped to $3.099 per gallon on Friday. This was a decrease from last week, when the average price for a gallon of regular gas was $3.223, and a month ago, when it cost $3.45 per gallon. Gas prices in the state are also substantially cheaper than last year, when the price of regular gas was $3.668 per gallon.

Delaware has the cheapest gas prices in the Delmarva region with Friday's new price of $2.995. This makes Delaware the first state in the region with an average price for a gallon of regular gas under $3. Prices are also lower than a week ago, when regular gas was $3.146, and a month ago, when it was $3.383.

Conversely, on the opposite side of the spectrum as Delaware, gas prices in Washington, D.C., are much higher than in any other part of the Delmarva region. At $3.461 per gallon, the average price for a gallon of regular gas in Washington is also more expensive than the national average. Nevertheless, like the rest of the country, gas prices have actually decreased in the area in recent weeks. Friday's price in Washington is lower than a week ago, when regular gas cost $3.54, and a month ago, when it was $3.698.

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Mississippi has the least expensive gas prices in the nation on Friday, but other states could soon surpass it. The current average price for a gallon of regular gas in Mississippi is $2.755. However, other states, such as Texas, with $2.778 per gallon, Tennessee, with $2.772, and South Carolina, with $2.78, had comparable prices. Earlier this month, Mississippi was surpassed by Oklahoma as the state with the least expensive gas before Mississippi regained this distinction. Will Mississippi still have the cheapest gas in the nation next week?

California remains the state with the most expensive gas in the country, with the average price for a gallon of regular gas at $4.765. Unlike many other states, gas prices are increasing in the state. A week ago, a gallon of regular gas cost $4.666 in the state. Gas is also more expensive than a month ago, when it was $4.601 in the Golden State. A year ago, gas prices were substantially more expensive, with the average price for regular gas being $5.484 per gallon.