Little Rock, Arkansas – Gas prices in Arkansas are continuing to move higher as families head into the back-to-school season, with the latest AAA report showing another increase over the past week.
According to the Thursday report, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Arkansas reached $3.71, an increase of about three cents over the previous seven days. While the weekly rise may appear modest, prices are considerably higher than they were at the same time last year.
The current statewide average is 94 cents higher than the $2.77 recorded a year ago. For drivers filling up regularly, that difference can quickly add to household expenses, particularly at a time when families are also dealing with back-to-school shopping, school activities and other seasonal costs.
Despite the increase, Arkansas remains among the states with lower gasoline prices. The national average also edged upward during the same period, rising from $4.06 to $4.07 per gallon.
Arkansas now ranks as the ninth-lowest state in the country for average gasoline prices. That position puts the state well below several parts of the country where drivers are paying more than $4 per gallon.
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Prices also vary across Arkansas, although the differences between some communities remain relatively small.
The Little Rock-North Little Rock metropolitan area is currently matching the statewide average at $3.71 per gallon. In other parts of central Arkansas, drivers are seeing somewhat lower prices. Pine Bluff has an average of $3.61, while Hot Springs is averaging $3.57.
The highest average price in Arkansas is being reported in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area. There, gasoline is averaging $3.77 per gallon, up from $3.69 one week earlier. The increase in that area is larger than the statewide weekly change.
The national figures show just how wide the gap can be between different states. California has the country’s highest average gasoline price at $5.58 per gallon, followed by Hawaii at $5.43 and Washington at $5.16.
Other states among the most expensive markets include Alaska at $4.83, Nevada at $4.76, Oregon at $4.69, Idaho at $4.41, Arizona at $4.40, Utah at $4.32 and Colorado at $4.31.
At the opposite end of the rankings, Louisiana currently has the lowest average price at $3.57 per gallon. Indiana follows at $3.59, while Mississippi is at $3.60 and Alabama at $3.61.
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Texas is averaging $3.63, followed by South Carolina and Tennessee, both at $3.65. Kentucky is at $3.70, placing Arkansas next at $3.71. North Carolina rounds out the 10 least expensive gasoline markets at $3.72.
For Arkansas motorists, the latest figures mean prices remain comparatively favorable when viewed against the rest of the country, even as the statewide average continues to rise. The mid-August increase is also a reminder that gasoline costs remain an important part of household budgets as the busy late-summer travel and back-to-school period gets underway.
