MA Gas Prices: Looking For Cheapest Option

Gas prices in Massachusetts continue to be slightly higher than the national average, according to a report by the AAA auto club. the The average price at the pump in Massachusetts as of Wednesday was 2 cents higher than the national average, and quite a bit higher than it was this time last year in the Bay State.

The average cost of a gallon of gas in Massachusetts right now is $2.60. That's about a half-center cheaper than it was here yesterday and 2 cents cheaper than it was last week, but it's about 32 centers higher than it was this time last year.

"Having analyzed oil and gasoline rices for over a decade, what we're seeing is not uncommon at all for this time of year," Gasbuddy's Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick DeHaan told Patch. "Usually, the trend is for lower prices for January and February, but as we approach March, refinery maintenance usually gets underway and cuts off declines."

That means, of course, expect prices to rise come from February to Memorial Day - give or take.

Right now it's at the worst on the Islands, where a gallon of gas is well over $3. On the mainland, it doesn't get worse than Suffolk County's $2.71 per gallon. The cheapest around is the Berkshires at $2.58. See the average price by county below:

Berkshire: $2.58

• Franklin: $2.59
• Barnstable: $2.61
• Hampden: $2.53
• Bristol: $2.55
• Worcester: $2.56
• Hampshire: $2.56
• Plymouth: $2.56
• Barnstable: $2.61
• Essex: $2.61
• Norfolk: $2.62
• Middlesex: $2.64
• Suffolk: $2.71
• Dukes: $3.19
• Nantucket: $3.74

To find the cheapest gas around you, head over to GasBuddy.com and insert your zip code.

Gas prices nationally are down to an average of $2.58 a gallon, but motorists are still paying more than they were a year ago to fill up their vehicles. The average price nationally was down 3 cents from last week, but 6 cents more than a month ago and 30 cents more than a year ago.

At 53 percent of gas stations across the country, gas was selling for $2.50 a gallon or less, and in 78 percent of the states, motorists saw lower prices Monday than they did a year ago. The lower prices dominated in the Midwest, South and East Coast, the auto club said.

The biggest declines were in Indiana, down 14 cents; Michigan, down 11 cents; Kentucky, down 9 cents; Ohio, down 8 cents; and Illinois.

Motorists in some states are still feeling the pinch. In Hawaii, for example, gas was up 5 cents per gallon to an average of $3.44, and motorists in California and Washington paid a penny more, at $3.35 and $3.04 a gallon. Gas prices in Oregon were unchanged at $2.89 a gallon.

AAA’s Jeanette Casselano said it’s too early to tell if the one-week decline is the start of a trend toward lower gas prices.

Here’s a look at trends by region from AAA:

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast: The states with the largest declines include Maryland and North Carolina (down 4 cents); Delaware, Maine, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., (down 3 cents). All other states saw prices drop 1 or 2 cents. The most expensive gas prices in the region are $2.86 in Pennsylvania and $2.41 in Virginia. The biggest month-over-month increase was in New Jersey (11 cents).

Great Lakes and Central states: Gas prices are down everywhere except North Dakota, where they remained stable.

South and Southeast: In all but one state, gas was cheaper Monday. Mississippi led the region with decreases of 4 cents. Florida saw a 4-cent increase to $2.64 percent a gallon, the 13th most expensive state in the country. Six states in the region ranked among the 10 cheapest for gas: Texas ($2.33), Mississippi ($2.33), South Carolina ($2.34), Alabama ($2.34), Arkansas ($2.37) and Oklahoma ($2.38).

Rockies: Utah saw a 6-cent increase in gas, while Idaho saw prices increase 3 cents. In Colorado and Wyoming, gas prices decreased by about a penny. Gas prices remained steady in Montana, but at $2.61 a gallon, motorists there are paying the most for to fill up in the region.

Photo by Ashely Ludwig, Patch staff