Stop me if you've heard this one, you pull up to a gas pump in eastern Iowa...you smile when you see it's under $4, and you say to yourself, "hey, that's pretty cheap!" But then you remember, "no it's not. I was paying 2-something last year! BOO"

Well, you're right and right. According to AAA, the Iowa gas cost average one year ago today (August 16) was $2.92 a gallon. Not so for 2022, but the pain at the pump at least has some soothing cream on it when see an under 4-dollar a gallon price tag.

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According to Gas Buddy, in Cedar Rapids, gas is running in the mid-3-dollar range. I was in Des Moines Monday, and shockingly, gas was around $3.15 a gallon. But, for the sake of this article, let's go with Iowa's average, which is currently $3.58, according to AAA.

How does our average compare to the rest of the country?

While $3.58 is far from a steal, it's a bargain compared to the national average. As of today, that sits at $3.94.

So is Iowa the cheapest U.S. state for gas? No. Sadly it's not. AAA has eleven states currently offering cheaper gas, with Tennesse edging out all states offering gas for $3.49. Or, about 11 cents less than our average.

Photo by Dawn McDonald on Unsplash
Photo by Dawn McDonald on Unsplash
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Of course, national averages are just that. As I mentioned, I saw gas for far less than $3.49 in Des Moines, so Tennesse's average is unimpressive in comparison.

Whatever you last paid for gas in Iowa, just feel good knowing you're certainly not overpaying. Actually, let me rephrase, that you're not overpaying compared to residents of most of our fellow states.

Taking the cake for the absolute worst gas prices? Good ol' California. The average in the Golden State... $5.35 a gallon.

OUCH.

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