How Minnesota Gas Prices Stack Up Nationally Today

Filling up your tank in Rochester lately feels less like a routine stop… and more like a financial decision. Especially now that prices have pushed past $4 a gallon. Ouch!

I mean, hear me out. I’m just as annoyed as the rest of you, but there is a slight bit of comfort in this whole situation. As rough as it feels right now, Minnesota is actually sitting in a better spot than a lot of the country.

According to data from AAA, the national average is higher than what we’re seeing across most of Minnesota.

The National average is $4.23 a gallon, while our statewide average is sitting at $3.93 a gallon. Putting us somewhere in the middle - not the top, not the bottom, just… hanging in there.

And honestly, “hanging in there” is kind of a win when you look at the bigger picture.

Out west, drivers in California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada are dealing with the highest prices in the country, with California pushing close to $6 a gallon for regular. Suddenly, that Rochester receipt feels slightly less offensive.

ICYMI: Rochester Gas Prices Top $4 For the First Time in 4-Years

On the flip side, if you’re dreaming about a cheaper fill-up, Oklahoma currently has the lowest average at around $3.65 per gallon, with Georgia, Kansas, Arkansas, and Mississippi rounding out the top 5 most affordable states. So yes, cheaper gas does exist… just not exactly around the corner.

Speaking of “around the corner,” if you’re already mentally planning a gas-saving road trip, here’s the reality check:

Wisconsin is actually a little higher than Minnesota right now
Iowa is just slightly lower, averaging around $3.83 per gallon, so not really worth the road trip sadly.

At the end of the day, gas prices in Rochester crossing $4 still stings. There’s no real way around that. But zoom out just a bit, and Minnesota isn’t getting hit as hard as some other states.

And if nothing else, it’s a solid excuse to combine errands, rethink that extra Target run, and maybe ask a friend to carpool. Speaking of which, you in? LOL

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli