Retail diesel remained over the $3-per-gallon mark in every region of the U.S. – and is approaching $4 in one state – for the second week in a row as diesel and gasoline prices at the pump rose across the nation, according to data tracked by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The U.S. average for diesel was up 3.8 cents to $3.277 per gallon on Monday, May 21, EIA reported. That is 73.8 cents more per gallon than this week in 2017. The national average for gasoline is also inching closer to that $3-per-gallon mark: It was up 5 cents this week to $2.923 on Monday, according to EIA.
The West Coast is still paying the most for diesel ($3.765 per gallon) and gasoline ($3.435) in the U.S. Even if you remove California from the equation, Western states – on average – are paying more for fuel than the rest of the country: $3.503 for diesel and $3.208 for gasoline.
Here is a look at the week-over-week diesel prices in every region of the U.S., as was reported on Monday:
- East Coast: $3.271 (up 3.5¢)
- New England: $3.282 (up 3.1¢)
- Central Atlantic: $3.420 (up 4¢)
- Lower Atlantic: $3.163 ( up 3.1¢)
- Midwest: $3.218 (up 4.3¢)
- Gulf Coast: $3.055 (up 4.3¢)
- Rocky Mountain: $3.348 (up 3.2¢)
- West Coast: $3.765 (up 3.4¢)
- West Coast less California: $3.503 (up 2.1¢)
- California: $3.973 (up 4.4¢)
The largest year-over-year increases in diesel fuel per gallon is in California, where the $3.973 retail diesel price is up $1.061 compared to this time last year. The whole West Coast ($3.765) is up 93.7 cents compared to last year. Even if you take California out of the picture, prices out West are up 77.8 cents per gallon on average compared to this week in 2017. Midwest diesel prices are the only other region where the year-over-year increase (75 cents) is outpacing the national increase (73.8 cents).
The national average price for gasoline was up a nickel this week to $2.933 per gallon. That is 52.4 cents more per gallon than this time last year, according to EIA. The biggest week-over-week increase was in New England, where the $2.945 per gallon average is up 7.1 cents.
Here's a look at gasoline prices per gallon by region and how they changed this week:
- East Coast: $2.86 (up 4¢)
- New England: $2.945 (up 7.1¢)
- Central Atlantic: $2.997 (up 5.3¢)
- Lower Atlantic: $2.751 (up 2.5¢)
- Midwest: $2.851 (up 6.9¢)
- Gulf Coast: $2.676 (up 6.3¢)
- Rocky Mountain: $2.968 (up 4.6¢)
- West Coast: $3.435 (up 3¢)
- West Coast less California: $3.208 (up 4.2¢)
- California: $3.618 (up 1.9¢)
