10 States with the Highest Gas Taxes
Inflation is hitting hard – especially at the gas pump. But crossing state lines to avoid higher gas taxes is one way to soften the blow.
Road trips are a lot less fun now that inflation and the Ukraine crisis have sent gas prices through the roof. Of course, part of the price you pay for each gallon of gas goes to the government in the form of fuel taxes. There's the federal government's gas tax, which hasn't budged from 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. But states and the District of Columbia also levy their own gas taxes.
As a result, if you're traveling cross-country, or just visiting a neighboring state, filling up can cost you even more just by crossing a state line. To help you get a better handle on the projected costs of your trip, here are the 10 states with the highest gas taxes (the state with the highest tax is last). We also include a look at how the states on our list do on other big tax metrics, such as sales tax. Hopefully, the sky-high gas prices won't last much longer, but save where you can until they drop down again.
Gas and diesel prices are from the American Petroleum Institute, as revised for changes after January 1, 2022. Sales taxes are from the Tax Foundation and, when listed as "average," represent a population-weighted value meant to capture local option taxes. Tobacco and vapor taxes are from individual state tax agency websites.
10. Florida
State Fuel Tax: 43.55¢ per gallon of gasoline, 36.37¢ per gallon of diesel
(NOTE: Florida enacted a gas tax holiday that will temporarily save drivers 25.3¢ per gallon for the full month of October 2022.)
State Sales Tax: 6% state levy. Localities can add as much as 2%, and the average combined rate is 7.01%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes: $1.34 per pack
- Cigars: No tax
- Other tobacco products: 85% of the wholesale price
For details on other state taxes, see the Florida State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
9. Michigan
State Fuel Tax: 45.17¢ per gallon of gasoline, 47.16¢ per gallon of diesel
Average Sales Tax: 6% state levy. No local taxes.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes: $2 per pack
- Premium cigars (more than $1.56/piece wholesale): $0.50 per cigar
- Other tobacco products: 32% of wholesale price
For details on other state taxes, see the Michigan State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
8. New York
State Fuel Tax: 48.22¢ per gallon of gasoline, 46.98¢ per gallon of diesel
(NOTE: New York enacted a gas tax holiday that will temporarily save drivers 16¢ per gallon (16.75¢ per gallon inside the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District) by suspending the state's sales and excise taxes on fuel from June through December 2022.)
Average Sales Tax: 4% state levy. Localities can add as much as 4.875%, and the average combined rate is 8.52%, according to the Tax Foundation. In the New York City metro area, there is an additional 0.375% sales tax to support transit.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes and little cigars: $4.35 per pack (in New York City, an extra $1.50 per pack)
- Snuff: $2 per container one ounce or less, $2 per ounce for larger containers
- Cigars and other tobacco products: 75% of the wholesale price
- Vapor products: 20% of retail price
For details on other state taxes, see the New York State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
7. Washington
State Fuel Tax: 49.4¢ per gallon of gasoline, 49.4¢ per gallon of diesel
Average Sales Tax: 6.5% state levy. Municipalities can add up to 4% to that, with the average combined rate at 9.29%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes and little cigars: $3.03 per pack
- Cigars: 95% of sale price, with a cap of $0.75 per cigar
- Moist snuff: $2.53 per 1.2-ounce container
- Other tobacco products: 95% of sale price
- Vapor products: Closed products, $0.27 per ml. Open containers greater than 5 ml, $0.09 per ml
For details on other state taxes, see the Washington State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
6. Indiana
State Fuel Tax: 49.79¢ per gallon of gasoline (50.79¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022), 54¢ per gallon of diesel (56¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022)
State Sales Tax: 7% state levy. No local taxes.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes: $1 per pack
- Snuff: $0.40 per ounce
- Other tobacco products: 24% of wholesale price
- Vapor products: 15% of gross retail income
For details on other state taxes, see the Indiana State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
5. Nevada
State Fuel Tax: 50.48¢ per gallon of gasoline, 28.56¢ per gallon of diesel
State Sales Tax: 6.85% state levy. Localities can add as much as 1.53%, and the average combined rate is 8.23%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes: $1.80 per pack
- Other tobacco products: 30% of wholesale price
- Vapor products: 30% of wholesale price
For details on other state taxes, see the Nevada State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
4. Hawaii
State Fuel Tax: 51.69¢ per gallon of gasoline, 52.41¢ per gallon of diesel
Average Sales Tax: 4% state levy. Localities can add as much as 0.5%, but the average combined rate is only 4.44%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes and little cigars: $3.20 per pack
- Large cigars: 50% of the wholesale price
- Other tobacco products: 70% of the wholesale price
For details on other state taxes, see the Hawaii State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
3. Pennsylvania
State Fuel Tax: 58.7¢ per gallon of gasoline, 75.2¢ per gallon of diesel
Average Sales Tax: 6% state levy. Philadelphia has a local sales tax of an additional 2%, and Allegheny County (Pittsburgh's home county) adds a local sales tax of 1%, and the combined rate is 6.34%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes and little cigars: $2.60 per pack. The City of Philadelphia levies an additional $2 local tax per pack of cigarettes
- Other tobacco products: 55 cents per ounce. Additional taxes due in Philadelphia.
- Vapor products: 40% of wholesale price
For details on other state taxes, see the Pennsylvania State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
2. Illinois
State Fuel Tax: 59.6¢ per gallon of gasoline, 67.02¢ per gallon of diesel
(NOTE: Illinois suspended a gas tax increase that was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2022. The 2.4¢ per gallon increase now won't take effect until 2023.)
Average Sales Tax: 6.25% state levy. Localities can add as much as 4.75%, and the average combined rate is 8.81%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes and little cigars: $2.98 per pack, Cook County has an additional tax of $3. Three localities, all in Cook County, add to that. According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, a pack purchased in Chicago has the highest total tax in the country: $7.16.
- Snuff: $0.30 per ounce
- Other tobacco products: 36% of the wholesale price
- Vapor products: 15% of wholesale price; localities have additional taxes
For details on other state taxes, see the Illinois State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
1. California
State Fuel Tax: 68.15¢ per gallon of gasoline (70.95¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022), 99.91¢ per gallon of diesel (102.01¢ per gallon effective July 1, 2022)
Average Sales Tax: 7.25% state levy. Localities can add as much as 2.5%, and the average combined rate is 8.82%, according to the Tax Foundation.
Tobacco Taxes:
- Cigarettes: $2.87 per pack
- All other tobacco products: 61.74% of wholesale cost
- Vapor products: 63.49% of wholesale cost, plus 12.5% excise tax
For details on other state taxes, see the California State Tax Guide for Middle-Class Families.
