TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As rampantly rising fuel costs continue to hit wallets in the United States, prices have finally started to drop. Florida saw one of the largest price decreases in the whole country, with only the District of Columbia reporting a bigger price drop.
According to AAA’s gas price tracker, the state of Florida is currently averaging a price of $4.72 per gallon for unleaded gasoline. The company said it was a $0.12 drop compared to the week before. Nationally, the average price per gallon is $4.92, down $0.08 from last week. However, the gas prices nationally are still up from a year ago.
In June 2021, gas averaged $3.07 per gallon, nationally. In Florida, they were $2.93.
“Crude prices have dropped this week amid broad market concern regarding the potential for economic growth to slow or stall due to rising interest rates and inflation,” AAA reported. “A lower economic growth rate than expected could cause crude demand to decline, leading prices to follow suit.”
As of Thursday, AAA said the largest price decreases in the nation were in Washington D.C., Florida, Indiana, Maryland, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Texas. The price decreases for those areas were:
| Location | Price Drop | Current Average |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | -$0.15 | $5.06 |
| Florida | -$0.12 | $4.72 |
| Indiana | -$0.12 | $5.05 |
| Maryland | -$0.11 | $4.88 |
| South Carolina | -$0.11 | $4.46 |
| Wisconsin | -$0.10 | $4.77 |
| Ohio | -$0.09 | $4.91 |
| Michigan | -$0.09 | $5.09 |
| Kentucky | -$0.09 | $4.66 |
| Texas | -$0.09 | $4.58 |
For the Tampa Bay area, gas prices range from as low as $4.67 to as high as $4.79. Here’s where gas prices are up in Tampa Bay.
| County | Price |
|---|---|
| Citrus | $4.72 |
| Hardee | $4.79 |
| Hernando | $4.77 |
| Highlands | $4.68 |
| Hillsborough | $4.70 |
| Manatee | $4.69 |
| Pasco | $4.67 |
| Pinellas | $4.71 |
| Polk | $4.71 |
| Sarasota | $4.73 |
The highest price on record for the state of Florida was $4.89 on June 13.
Florida will have a previously planned gas tax holiday in October, which is expected to lower gas prices by $0.25 per gallon for that month. While President Joe Biden has pitched a similar solution, for as long as three months, he would need the assistance of U.S. Congress to make it happen.
