AAA’s daily state averages show that gasoline prices in late May 2026 were generally higher in several Democratic-led states—particularly on the West Coast—than in many Republican-led states, reflecting a mix of state fuel taxes, boutique fuel requirements, supply constraints and broader oil-market forces.
AAA publishes daily average retail gasoline prices by state based on station-level data. In late May 2026, those averages showed some of the highest prices in California and Washington, while many lower-priced states were in the South and parts of the Midwest.
California’s pump prices have long tended to run above the national average, influenced by multiple factors including higher state fuel taxes and fees and the state’s requirement for a specialized gasoline blend designed to address air-quality concerns.
On taxes, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that, as of January 1, 2026, California had the highest combined state gasoline taxes and fees at 70.9 cents per gallon. The EIA also noted that Washington state’s gasoline taxes and fees increased between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.
However, the size of the price difference between states can shift substantially over time with changes in crude oil prices, refining capacity, regional supply disruptions and seasonal fuel specifications. As a result, broad claims about a fixed, nationwide “blue-state versus red-state” premium—such as a uniform 41-cent gap or specific nationwide averages for “blue” and “red” states—depend on how states are categorized, what date range is used and whether the comparison is based on a snapshot or a longer-term average.
Washington, like California, has climate and fuel policies that can affect fuel costs. The Washington State Department of Ecology has said modeling it commissioned projected the Clean Fuel Standard would have a small effect on retail gasoline prices in its early years, while emphasizing that supply-and-demand dynamics are the primary drivers of gasoline price swings.
AAA’s fuel-price reporting continues to track state-level averages daily, and analysts generally caution that no single factor—taxes, regulations or geopolitical events—fully explains differences across states at any given moment.
