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Mapped: Where Americans Spend the Most on Gas
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Key Takeaways
- Americans can spend more than 2x as much on gas per month depending on where they live.
- Longer driving distances—not just gas prices—are the biggest driver of higher monthly costs.
- Wyoming drivers face the highest monthly costs ($279), while New York drivers pay the least ($132).
Gas prices may grab headlines, but they don’t tell the full story of what Americans actually spend to fuel their cars.
This map estimates monthly gas costs by state using April 15, 2026 fuel prices and average driving distances from the Federal Highway Administration, via FinanceBuzz.
The key pattern: distance drives cost. In lower-density states, longer commutes push monthly spending far above the national average, while dense Northeast states benefit from shorter trips and significantly lower fuel bills.
Ranked: Monthly Gas Cost by State
The table below shows estimated monthly gas costs, based on April 15, 2026 fuel prices by state, average miles driven per driver, and a fuel efficiency of 25.6 miles per gallon.
| Rank | State | Avg. Monthly Spend | Price of Gas (Apr 15th) | Annual Miles Per Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $279 | $3.89 | 21,986 |
| 2 | Indiana | $244 | $3.88 | 19,296 |
| 3 | Mississippi | $243 | $3.74 | 19,910 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $236 | $3.96 | 18,321 |
| 5 | Missouri | $228 | $3.67 | 19,049 |
| 6 | California | $225 | $5.88 | 11,780 |
| 7 | Alabama | $221 | $3.84 | 17,728 |
| 8 | Utah | $216 | $4.21 | 15,725 |
| 9 | Kentucky | $212 | $3.98 | 16,330 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $208 | $3.86 | 16,558 |
| 11 | Idaho | $207 | $4.34 | 14,643 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $207 | $3.62 | 17,560 |
| 13 | Nevada | $205 | $4.96 | 12,716 |
| 14 | Arkansas | $205 | $3.65 | 17,287 |
| 15 | Arizona | $205 | $4.66 | 13,501 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $204 | $5.65 | 11,115 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $202 | $3.44 | 18,031 |
| 18 | Georgia | $201 | $3.68 | 16,763 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $201 | $3.75 | 16,452 |
| 20 | Montana | $200 | $3.90 | 15,775 |
| 21 | Vermont | $200 | $4.09 | 15,048 |
| 22 | Texas | $198 | $3.77 | 16,125 |
| 23 | Oregon | $195 | $5.00 | 12,016 |
| 24 | Virginia | $192 | $3.97 | 14,877 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $192 | $3.78 | 15,580 |
| 26 | Florida | $191 | $4.15 | 14,179 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $191 | $3.86 | 15,198 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $186 | $3.79 | 15,075 |
| 29 | Maine | $186 | $4.02 | 14,185 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $185 | $3.68 | 15,424 |
| 31 | Kansas | $182 | $3.51 | 15,941 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $180 | $3.93 | 14,091 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $179 | $3.63 | 15,157 |
| 34 | Washington | $178 | $5.39 | 10,125 |
| 35 | Maryland | $177 | $4.10 | 13,228 |
| 36 | Illinois | $173 | $4.36 | 12,154 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $172 | $3.71 | 14,272 |
| 38 | Alaska | $169 | $4.64 | 11,173 |
| 39 | Iowa | $167 | $3.65 | 14,077 |
| 40 | Ohio | $165 | $3.80 | 13,345 |
| 41 | Michigan | $165 | $3.92 | 12,906 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $161 | $3.96 | 12,511 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $161 | $3.97 | 12,472 |
| 44 | Colorado | $160 | $3.96 | 12,426 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $159 | $4.08 | 11,974 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $151 | $4.13 | 11,189 |
| 47 | New Jersey | $150 | $4.00 | 11,536 |
| 48 | Delaware | $140 | $3.97 | 10,854 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $135 | $3.97 | 10,411 |
| 50 | New York | $132 | $4.13 | 9,815 |
| -- | U.S. State Average | $190 | $4.07 | 14,558 |
Drivers in the most expensive states spend more than twice as much per month on gas as those in the cheapest—driven largely by how far they travel, not just fuel prices.
Wyoming drivers face the highest monthly gas costs, at $279. Wyoming drivers log over 1,830 miles per month—more than 50% above the U.S. average—making distance the primary driver of their higher fuel costs.
In contrast, New York drivers spend $132 per month, the least nationwide. Given its high density, drivers average 817 miles per month on the road, the lowest overall. A cluster of Northeast states follow, including Rhode Island ($135), and Delaware ($140), all with low mileage rates.
The gap shows that where you live can matter more than gas prices themselves when it comes to monthly fuel costs.
Why This Matters
Ultimately, gas prices tell only part of the story.
For many Americans, especially in rural states, distance—not price—is the biggest driver of fuel costs. That means even if gas prices fall, millions could still face high monthly bills simply because of how far they need to travel.
From dense Northeast states to wide-open Western regions, where you live can mean paying thousands more per year just to get around. And with gas prices still volatile in 2026, that gap could widen even further.
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