Surprisingly, Gas Taxes In Northeast Not So Bad

Here’s a fact that may mildly surprise you. Gas taxes in the Northeast aren’t so bad. Well, at least not as bad as you might think.

The website 24/7 Wall St. recently compiled a list of the states and how each ranked in terms of how much motorists pay at the pump in state sales tax. California was the most expensive at 60.6 cents per gallon and Alaska the cheapest at 14.4 cents per gallon.

What was somewhat surprising, though, was that only two states in the Northeast ranked in the Top 10.

New York came in 7th most expensive with a sales tax of 45 cents per gallon, while New Jersey came in 10th place at 41.4 cents per gallon. Every driver pays 18.4 cents per gallon in federal tax, upon which the state tax is added.

Not Making The Top 10

Connecticut ranked 11th at 40.1 cents per gallon, with Rhode Island (35 cents) in 17th place, Vermont (30.8 cents) in 24th place, Maine (30 cents) in 27th place, Massachusetts (26.5 cents) in 32nd place, and New Hampshire (23.8 cents) in 37th place.

24/7 Wall St. reported, “State-imposed taxes and fees can account for anywhere from 5% of the total cost of gas to more than 20%, depending on where you live.”

The average per gallon price nationally as of late January was $2.50, compared to more than $4 a gallon as recently as 2012.

The Price Of Gas Over The Years

24/7 Wall St. also tabulated gas prices over the years. In 1929, the average price per gallon was 21 cents ($2.49 in today’s dollars), but had dropped to 17 cents ($2.31) in 1931.

Gas cost 18 cents ($2.69) in 1940, 27 cents ($2.18) in 1950, 31 cents ($2.04) in 1960, 36 cents ($1.84) in 1970, $1.19 ($3.12) in 1980, $1.15 ($1.96) in 1990, $1.51 ($2.09) in 2000 and $2.79 ($3.15) in 2010.

So, historically speaking, the price of gas today in the United States isn’t as bad as it has been at other times in our history – not that motorcyclists pay that much attention to the price of gas.

After all, two wheels always get better gas mileage than a hulking SUV.