Overview
- AAA puts the national average at about $2.89 per gallon this week, with roughly 40 states now below $3.
- EIA reports gasoline demand rose to 9.07 million barrels per day last week as inventories increased to 225.6 million barrels and production averaged 9.6 million barrels per day.
- Analysts tie the downturn to ample supply and lower crude benchmarks, with U.S. oil prices holding in the upper $50s per barrel.
- Regional gaps remain pronounced, from about $2.34 in Oklahoma to roughly $4.43 in Hawaii, with the D.C. area averaging $3.17.
- Outlooks suggest further easing, with GasBuddy forecasting around $2.79 on Christmas and EIA projecting near-$3 retail averages in 2026 barring major disruptions.