It’s no secret that gas prices have skyrocketed last month. In fact, U.S. prices were at an all time high, climbing to well over $4 per gallon in March after resting between $2 and $3 per gallon over much of the past decade.

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Reasons for the Increase in Price

Several factors are contributing to these abrupt price spikes and record-high costs. International sanctions against Russia, the world’s third-largest producer of oil and natural gas, following its invasion of Ukraine in February have curtailed global supply and raised prices significantly over the past month. Additionally, growing levels of inflation in the U.S. have increased the cost of everyday goods, including gas.

While gas prices are rising across the country, some states are experiencing record-setting price jumps. To inform drivers on where to adjust their budgeting expectations accordingly,  Insurify’s team of data scientists analyzed AAA’s most recent Gas Prices data to identify the 10 states where gas prices are climbing the fastest this year.

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Insights

• National averages. Gas prices in the U.S. rose a whopping 22.5% between February 16 and March 16, 2022. In March, a regular gallon of gas costs $4.31, on average, up from $3.51 just one month prior.
• Prices are rising fast everywhere. Everyone in America is shelling out more at the pump right now. Nine states have seen gas prices rise at least 25% in the past month, meaning residents there are spending anywhere from $11 to $15 more at the gas station each time they fill up. Even residents in Hawaii, which has experienced the smallest increase in gas costs over the past month, are still paying 13.3% more for gas.
• Fuel-efficient cars help drivers weather the storm. Despite the growing popularity of SUVs, small, fuel-efficient sedans like the Nissan Altima and the Honda Civic are the most commonly driven vehicles in 8 of the 10 states where gas prices are rising the fastest. Compared to a Ford F-Series pickup, the most popular car in America overall, owners of these sedans are saving anywhere from 44% to 68% on gas per mile driven. On average, this works out to saving up to $36.20 per tank.

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10. Arizona

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 24.7%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.62 per gallon (7% higher than national average)
• Most popular car: Ford F-Series Pickup

Grand Canyon State drivers were paying over $0.90 more per gallon at the pump in March than they were the month prior, meaning prices increased by 24.7%. Arizona motorists are also more likely to drive a Ford F-Series pickup truck than any other vehicle, meaning that gas isn’t taking them as far, either. While a 2022 Ford F-150 averages 25 mpg — which is not bad for a pickup truck — it’s still the least fuel-efficient vehicle among all the cars most popular in states where gas prices are rising the fastest.

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9. Mississippi

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.0%
• Average March gas price (regular): $3.98 per gallon (8% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Mississippi drivers saw prices rise a whopping 25% (though are still spending 8% less on gas than the average American driver). For context, anyone who drives a Nissan Altima — the most popular vehicle in the state — paid almost $13 more to fill up their tank in March than they were in February.

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8. Louisiana

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.6%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.13 per gallon (4% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Like their Mississippi neighbors, drivers in Louisiana ponied up at the pump, spending over 25% more on gasoline in March than they did in February. Prices jumped a full $0.84 per gallon between February and March of 2022.

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7. Ohio

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.8%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.06 per gallon (6% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Honda Civic

Though Ohio drivers still paid less for gas than the national average, prices in the state shot up at the seventh-highest rate in the nation in March. Fortunately, Buckeye State motorists most commonly drive a Honda Civic, which is one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. The 2022 model’s 42 highway mpg helps Civic owners squeeze the most out of every gallon.

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6. Michigan

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 25.9%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.22 per gallon (2% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Chevrolet Malibu

The automobile capital of the country saw gas prices skyrocket in March: A gallon of regular gasoline cost 25.9% more than it did in February. With prices over $4 per gallon, perhaps Michigan drivers will be more open to considering new electric alternatives, like the all-electric Ford F-150, from America’s Detroit-based auto manufactures.

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5. Indiana

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.0%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.22 per gallon (2% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Chevrolet Malibu

It was March Madness in the Hoosier State, both for college basketball and at the gas station. Gas prices rose an even 26% between February and March, causing the statewide average to hit $4.22 per gallon of regular gasoline.

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4. Alabama

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.3%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.13 per gallon (4% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

A gallon of regular gas in March cost $4.13 in Alabama, which means prices rose a colossal $0.86 per gallon in just one month. This 26.3% increase is the fourth-highest jump in the U.S. over the past month.

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3. Georgia

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 26.6%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.27 per gallon (1% lower than national average)
• Most popular car: Honda Accord

Fuel prices are up in the Peach State, with gas costing 26.6% more per gallon in March than it did in February. Anyone filling up their Honda Accord, the most common car in the state, should prepare to spend an extra $13.32 every time they visit the pump.

Image Credit: SeanPavonePhoto/ iStock.

2. Nevada

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 27.7%
• Average March gas price (regular): $5.01 per gallon (16% higher than national average)
• Most popular car: Nissan Altima

Nevada drivers have had it rough recently. Not only did gas prices increase by nearly 28% in March, but they also rose 16% more than the national average. This means that Silver State motorists were shelling out over $5 per gallon — the third-highest state average in the country.

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1. Utah

• Average gas price increase from Feb. – Mar. 2022: 29.6%
• Average March gas price (regular): $4.36 per gallon (1% higher than national average)
• Most popular car: Ford F-Series Pickup

Utah gas prices shot up by nearly 30% in March, the biggest hike of any state in the nation. Since the Ford F-Series Pickup is the most popular car in the state, this price jump is having an especially large impact on the typical Utah driver, too. A 2022 F-150 has a 23-gallon tank, so its owners were spending an additional $22.77 — not a trifle sum — every time they filled up.

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Methodology

The data scientists at Insurify, an auto insurance comparison site, referred to AAA’s Gas Prices database to identify the ten states where gas prices are rising the fastest in March 2022. Insurify’s data scientists calculated the percent increase in the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline between February 16 and March 16, 2022, for all 50 states. The 10 states with the greatest percent increases were selected for the list.

Data on the most popular vehicle in each state comes from Insurify’s 2022 Most Popular Cars in America report.

The findings in this article represent statistical trends found in AAA’s Gas Prices database and in Insurify’s database of over 4.6 million car insurance applications. The findings of this study are not meant to imply the direction nor necessarily the existence of a causal relationship. Rather, this is a presentation of statistical correlations of public interest.

This article originally appeared on Insurify.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

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