of regular , followed by Oklahoma at $ 3.866 , South Carolina , Mississippi and Arkansas . Iowa , Kansas and Alabama are next in line . AOL Autos : Cars with 30 + MPG for $ 300 or less per month Past prices We use the term ` best states to buy gas ' with this caveat : Back in June 2004 , gas hovered at around $ 1.74 a gallon , according to figures from gasbuddy.com . Geoff Sundstrom , AAA 's fuel price analyst , said the primary reasons for rising fuel prices are an increase in demand for petroleum products across the globe and a need for investment in refining infrastructure . `` Right now , it is almost impossible to know where oil and gas prices will be in six months to a year , '' he said . `` It 's easy to assume that the world economy will continue to grow , we are very clearly at risk of an economic downturn and perhaps a severe economic downturn which could influence the demand side to the point where oil and gas prices may drop . `` In 10 to 20 years out ,
-LRB- AOL Autos -RRB- -- Price of gas got you crying at the pump ? Is it eating into your household budget ? Well , get used to it . Gas in California , the second worst state , hits $ 4.59 per gallon for regular unleaded in this July 14 photo . That 's the word on the streets as the price of a gallon of gasoline soars to record highs . With regional differentials pushing the price much higher in some places , drivers and small-business owners are finding it hard to cope . But which states ' motorists get the best deal , and in which states do drivers pay the most to fill-up ? Here come the numbers Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation , with a gallon of regular gasoline at $ 4.623 , followed by California at $ 4.583 as of June 30 . Hawaii , Connecticut and Washington make up the top five states with highest prices , with New York and D.C. not far behind at $ 4.292 and $ 4.160 respectively . Best states to buy gas ? Missouri comes out top at $ 3.862 for a gallon