Data: 2026 Gas Costs (Not Just Pump Prices) Hit Some States Harder

Rising fuel costs have pushed weekly gas expenditures up by at least $10 in 36 states since late February, according to a NerdWallet analysis, with drivers in several Western and Plains states absorbing the largest increases due to a combination of high pump prices and heavy fuel consumption. The analysis, which compared average weekly gas spending from March through June against a baseline of mid-February prices, found that Wyoming, Oklahoma, Montana, and Utah saw the greatest jumps [1]. In Wyoming, estimated weekly spending rose by $26, while Oklahoma saw a $19 increase, and Montana and Utah each recorded a $17 rise [1]. By contrast, states with historically high pump prices but lower fuel consumption, such as California and Washington, experienced smaller increases of $8 and $7, respectively [1]. The surge in costs follows a sharp disruption in global oil markets. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in early March, a chokepoint for roughly 20% of the world's oil trade, triggered what the International Energy Agency called the "largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market" [2][3]. Brent Crude surged past $120 per barrel, and the collective oil production of Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates dropped by a reported 6.7 million barrels per day by March 10 [3]. Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet, said the incremental weekly costs accumulate quickly. "While $10 a week might seem like a small amount, it quickly adds up over time. Given the financial pressure many households are already facing, an additional $520 a year in expenses is a burden to many households," Palmer said [1]. The NerdWallet study estimated that a sustained $10 weekly increase would result in $520 of additional annual spending per driver, and households with multiple drivers could see costs rise by more than $1,000 [1]. At the mid-May price peak, residents in 47 states were paying at least $10 more per week compared to mid-February, and those in 11 states were paying at least $20 more [1]. The variation across states is driven largely by differences in fuel consumption. Wyoming drivers average more than 22,000 miles per year, well above the national median of 14,700 miles, and four of the five most popular new vehicles in the state in 2025 were pickup trucks [1]. California drivers, by comparison, average about 12,000 miles annually and favor more fuel-efficient models such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic [1]. The current price shock echoes the 1973 oil crisis, when an OPEC embargo caused prices to rise by nearly 300%, from $3 per barrel to nearly $12 globally [5]. That event reshaped energy policy and consumer behavior for decades. The 2026 disruption has already prompted concerns about inflation and recession, with a United Nations Development Programme study estimating the war could reduce economic growth in Arab nations by $120 billion to $194 billion in GDP [3]. NerdWallet Senior Economist Elizabeth Renter noted that highly visible gas prices have a direct effect on overall economic sentiment. "In this way, higher and higher gas prices can have a compounding economic impact," Renter said [1].