What drivers in Texas are paying in gas taxes

Gas prices are hovering near all-time highs in the United States. The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline stood at $4.24 as of March 23 – up 70 cents from a month ago.

What Americans pay at the pump is subject to a number of factors – the most important of which is the price of crude oil, which is determined by global supply and demand.

As major markets around the world have banned Russian oil imports amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the global energy market has tightened considerably, sending gas prices to record highs.

While shocks to the global energy market are largely out of the control of U.S. policymakers, other factors affecting gas prices are not, namely taxes. The federal government levies a tax of 18.4 cents on every gallon of gas sold to American motorists.

On top of the federal gas tax, as of January 2022, Texas levied an additional tax of 20.0 cents per gallon – the sixth lowest gas tax among states.

Currently, the average price of a gallon of gas in Texas stands at $3.90. Including the federal tax, taxes account for 9.9% of the average price of a gallon of gas in the state.

Gas taxes are typically used to fund road and highway repair projects to fix damage caused by usage and wear. In Texas, vehicle miles traveled per year total about 14,510 per driver, the 15th most among states.

Not only are taxes adding to the pain Americans are feeling at the pump, but the revenue they generate has failed to keep up with infrastructure maintenance costs and inflation.

While many states are adjusting tax rates to address the shortfall, the federal gas tax has not changed since 1993.

All data on gas taxes are current as of Jan. 1, 2022, and are from the American Petroleum Institute. Data on the average price of a gallon of regular gas are for March 23, 2022, and are from AAA. Annual vehicle miles traveled per driver was calculated using data from the Federal Highway Administration.

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Rank State State gas taxes and fees (cents per gal.) Avg. gas price on March 23 ($ per gal. of regular) State and fed. taxes as share of gas price (%)
1 California 68.2 5.88 14.7%
2 Illinois 59.6 4.50 17.3%
3 Pennsylvania 58.7 4.31 17.9%
4 Hawaii 51.7 5.09 13.8%
5 New Jersey 50.7 4.19 16.5%
6 Nevada 50.5 5.16 13.4%
7 Indiana 49.8 4.15 16.4%
8 Washington 49.4 4.73 14.3%
9 New York 48.2 4.36 15.3%
10 Michigan 45.2 4.14 15.3%
11 Florida 43.6 4.13 15.0%
12 Oregon 38.8 4.71 12.1%
13 North Carolina 38.8 4.07 14.1%
14 Ohio 38.5 4.00 14.2%
15 Georgia 37.6 4.03 13.9%
16 Maryland 36.1 3.78 14.4%
17 Connecticut 35.8 4.33 12.5%
18 West Virginia 35.7 4.09 13.2%
19 Rhode Island 35.0 4.22 12.6%
20 Virginia 34.4 4.09 12.9%
21 Montana 33.3 4.02 12.8%
22 Idaho 33.0 4.37 11.8%
23 Wisconsin 32.9 3.93 13.1%
24 Vermont 32.1 4.20 12.0%
25 Utah 31.9 4.41 11.4%
26 Alabama 31.3 4.03 12.3%
27 Minnesota 30.6 3.92 12.5%
28 Maine 30.0 4.19 11.6%
29 South Dakota 30.0 3.94 12.3%
30 Iowa 30.0 3.87 12.5%
31 Tennessee 27.4 4.03 11.4%
32 South Carolina 26.8 3.95 11.4%
33 Massachusetts 26.5 4.26 10.6%
34 Kentucky 26.0 3.97 11.2%
35 Nebraska 25.7 3.87 11.4%
36 Arkansas 24.8 3.82 11.3%
37 Kansas 24.0 3.77 11.3%
38 Wyoming 24.0 4.05 10.5%
39 New Hampshire 23.8 4.19 10.1%
40 North Dakota 23.0 3.90 10.6%
41 Delaware 23.0 4.01 10.3%
42 Colorado 22.0 3.97 10.2%
43 Louisiana 20.0 4.04 9.5%
44 Oklahoma 20.0 3.79 10.1%
45 Texas 20.0 3.90 9.9%
46 Missouri 19.9 3.77 10.2%
47 Arizona 19.0 4.63 8.1%
48 New Mexico 18.9 4.14 9.0%
49 Mississippi 18.8 3.93 9.5%
50 Alaska 15.1 4.71 7.1%

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