Gas prices have leveled off for the moment but the idea of alleviating the burden of higher gas prices for New Yorkers by temporarily withholding gas taxes has been tossed around by state legislators. But which states are paying the highest gas taxes, and where does New York stack up?
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- Gas prices have leveled off for the moment but the idea of alleviating the burden of higher gas prices for New Yorkers by temporarily withholding gas taxes has been tossed around by state legislators. Which states are paying the highest gas taxes, and where does New York stack up?
The national average for gas taxes is 57.09 cents a gallon. There are 13 states that currently pay more in gas taxes than the national average and New York is one of them, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API).
New Yorkers pay 66.62 cents on a gallon of gas, the ninth-highest statewide. State gas taxes alone are 48.22 cents a gallon. See a breakdown of the state's gas taxes in the table below.
| Tax | Cents per gallon |
| State Excise Tax | 8.05 |
| Other State Fees | 40.17 |
| Total State Taxes | 48.22 |
| Total State and Federal Taxes | 66.62 |
California tops the list of states that pay the most in gas taxes, 86.55 cents per gallon. Its state tax is more than New Yorkers pay in total (68.15). Illinois (78 cents) and Pennsylvania (77.10) pay the second and third most in total gas taxes. Illinois has a state tax of 59.60, Pennsylvania 58.70 cents a gallon.
| State | Total gas tax (state and federal) per gallon in cents | |
| 1 | California | 86.55 |
| 2 | Illinois | 78.00 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 77.10 |
| 4 | Hawaii | 70.09 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 69.10 |
| 6 | Nevada | 68.88 |
| 7 | Indiana | 68.19 |
| 8 | Washington | 67.80 |
| 9 | New York | 66.62 |
| 10 | Michigan | 63.57 |
| 11 | Florida | 61.95 |
| 12 | Oregon | 57.23 |
| 13 | North Carolina | 57.15 |
| National Average | 57.09 |
Alaska pays the least in gas taxes nationwide, 33.53 cents a gallon, 15.13 of which goes to the state. Mississippi (37.19), New Mexico (37.19), Arizona (37.28), and Missouri (38.32) round out the top five states that pay the least in gas taxes.
Check out New York's gas taxes compared to California (highest) and Alaska (lowest) in the table below:
| State | State Excise Tax | Other State Taxes | Total State Taxes | Total State and Federal Taxes |
| New York | 8.05 | 40.17 | 48.22 | 66.62 |
| Alaska | 8.95 | 6.18 | 15.13 | 33.53 |
| California | 51.10 | 17.05 | 68.15 | 86.55 |
