10 States Where Gas Taxes Hurt the Most

With the national average gas price rising 30 cents in the past month alone, it’s no secret gas prices are soaring everywhere, but everyone feels the sting a little differently. As we reported last week, the price of a gallon of gas varies wildly from one country to another, ranging from just a few cents in Venezuela to close to $10 in Norway and Eritrea. And even within the U.S. there’s significant variance, with a low of $3.12 per gallon in Wyoming and a high of $4.32 per gallon in Hawaii. Why does the price of a gallon of gas vary so much from state to state? As with country-by-country averages, the big culprit is taxation. While drivers in all states are hit with a federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, there are also a variety of state-level taxes that hit your wallet at the pump. Using current average gas prices from AAA and state taxation data compiled by the Tax Foundation, we decided to look at the states where taxes (federal and state combined) make up the biggest percentage of the cost of a gallon of gas. Photo Credit: Ytse Jam Photography