Gas prices by state: Where drivers are paying the most
The summer will be more expensive for drivers, adding an average of almost $70 per month to fill up the tank compared with last year.
AAA, the driving organization, said national prices will range from $2.85 to $3.05 through Labor Day, but it noted several states are already without any gas stations selling fuel for less than $3 per gallon.
The four states where it's impossible to break below the $3-per-gallon mark include outliers such as Hawaii and Alaska, where household goods are often more expensive than in the contiguous 48 states. And in a handful of states, almost all gas stations are retailing fuel for at least $3. Among them are Idaho and Nevada, at 99 percent and 97 percent, respectively.
Across the country, 25 percent of all gas stations have prices above $3 a gallon, compared with 5 percent a year ago.
Despite the hit to the pocketbook, it's unlikely that Americans will cut back on driving this summer, AAA said.
"Motorists can expect to spend at least $250 more on gas this season, but that won't stop them from traveling," said AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano in a statement. Some "may pinch pennies by eating out less or finding more free family-fun activities while on vacation."
An AAA survey of drivers earlier this year found that only one in three would change their plans if gas prices hit $3 a gallon. At $3.50 per gallon, almost half said they would.
The rise in gas prices will erase the tax benefits many households are receiving from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law late last year by President Donald Trump. The impact may be particularly felt by low-income households, according to Oxford Economics.
"There is a misconception that these families are shielded from higher fuel costs due to reliance on public transportation," wrote Jake McRobie, an associate economist at Oxford Economics, and Greg Daco, head of U.S. economics, in a report last month. "In fact, poorer households spend a larger share of income on gasoline, and are more exposed to swings in its price."
Here are the 8 states in which all or almost all gas stations are selling fuel for more than $3.01 per gallon.
1. Alaska -- 100 percent
2. California -- 100 percent
3. Hawaii -- 100 percent
4. Washington -- 100 percent
5. Idaho -- 99 percent
6. Oregon -- 98 percent
7. Utah -- 98 percent
8. Nevada -- 97 percent