Regular gasoline averaged $4.07 a gallon nationally on Nov. 6, down from $4.20 a week earlier and up from $3.08 a year ago, AAA says. The exact reading was $4.0688 a gallon, which is about 30 cents below the $4.3685 average of a month ago. Pump prices are falling, but a gallon still costs roughly 98 cents more than it did last November.
Anyone who fills a tank every week feels that gap directly. At AAA’s national average, a 15-gallon fill-up costs about $61.03 today, compared with about $46.27 at last year’s $3.0844 price. That is $14.76 more for every full tank, or close to $60 a month for a driver who fills up four times.
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How fast is the price coming down?
AAA’s daily table shows the slide is steady rather than sudden. The national average stood at $4.1003 on Nov. 5, a day before the $4.0688 reading, and at $4.2046 a week earlier. A month ago it was $4.3685. The AAA site headlines the movement as “National Average Falls 12 Cents in One Week.”
The federal government’s weekly survey shows the same direction. The Energy Information Administration put regular gasoline at $4.153 a gallon for the week of Nov. 2, down from $4.269 the week before, a drop of about 12 cents. The agency’s next weekly reading is scheduled for Nov. 10.
The savings from the slide so far are small but real. Against a week ago, the drop is worth about $2 on a 15-gallon tank, and against a month ago about $4.50. The price fell about three cents in the last day alone, from $4.1003 to $4.0688, which suggests the decline had not stalled as of Friday.
Which states are still paying more than $5?
The AAA state table for Nov. 6 shows four states above $5 a gallon. California leads at $5.8008, followed by Hawaii at $5.6384, Nevada at $5.1449 and Washington at $5.0912. Oregon is the next highest, at $4.7086.
At the other end, North Carolina is the cheapest state at $3.3170. Georgia follows at $3.5168, then Texas at $3.5466, South Carolina at $3.5684 and Louisiana at $3.6363. In all, 24 states average under $4. The gap between California and North Carolina is about $2.48 a gallon, which on a 15-gallon tank is more than $37.
Do state gas-tax breaks explain the cheapest prices?
Two of the five cheapest states have paused their gas taxes. North Carolina’s suspension began Oct. 10 and runs through Nov. 30, and Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office has told fuel retailers and distributors they must pass the savings to customers. Drivers who think a station is not doing so can report it online at ncdoj.gov/ncfuelcheck or by phone at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.
Georgia’s suspension also runs through Nov. 30. Gov. Brian Kemp extended it, and the break is worth about 33.3 cents a gallon on gasoline and about 37 cents on diesel. When a suspension ends, the tax returns at the pump, which would add the same amount back to the price per gallon on Dec. 1 if the breaks are not extended again.
Is diesel falling too?
It is, but diesel remains far above where it was a year ago. AAA lists the national diesel average at $6.2305 on Nov. 6, down from $6.3204 a week earlier and from $6.3151 a month ago. A year ago it was $3.7093, so diesel is up about $2.52 a gallon over the year, and the week’s decline of roughly nine cents is smaller than the drop in regular gasoline. The all-time diesel high in AAA’s records, $6.5276, was set on Sept. 22 of this year.
Drivers of premium and midgrade fuel pay more across the board. AAA puts midgrade at $4.5991 and premium at $4.9910. Compared with a year ago, midgrade is up about $1.01 a gallon and premium about $1.04. Ethanol-blend E85, which only flex-fuel vehicles can use, averages $3.1604. For comparison, the all-time record for regular gasoline, $5.0165, was set on June 14, 2022, and today’s average is about 95 cents below it.
What does a lower pump price still leave unsettled?
A lower price at the pump helps, but it does not erase a year of higher costs. Regular gasoline is up about 32% from a year ago, and the EIA’s weekly survey points the same way: its Nov. 2 reading was up $1.134 from the same week a year earlier. For someone driving 12,000 miles a year in a car that gets 25 miles to the gallon, that works out to roughly 480 gallons and about $470 more in fuel than at last year’s price.
AAA updates its national and state averages daily on its gas prices site, and anyone can compare their own state’s number against the national average there. People who drive for a living, or who live in a state where the average sits near $5, have the most room to feel any further movement. Because a fill-up costs about $15 more than a year ago, even small changes in the daily average show up in monthly budgets, particularly for households that drive long distances to reach medical appointments, grocery stores or family.
Paying $61 for a tank of gas and wondering what else drivers can trim?
At $4.07 a gallon, a month of fill-ups costs about $244 for a driver who buys four 15-gallon tanks, and that is before insurance, tolls and fares. Few of the discounts that apply to drivers and riders are offered unless someone asks.
Senior Discounts Worth Asking For is a 12-page guide that covers the car insurance mature-driver course discount and Amtrak and city transit savings, including 10% off most rail fares and half fare on many buses. Each entry comes with who qualifies and the exact words to use when asking, along with a savings log for tracking what asking is worth each year.
Get the senior discounts guide for car insurance and transit fares →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
