With gas prices leveling out in some parts of the country and falling in many others, drivers out on the road this Memorial Day weekend will no doubt rejoice. But while what the drivers will be spending overall might be less compared with recent days and weeks, what they will be paying in state and federal excise gas taxes will remain the same.
The state taxes and fees make up a significant portion of each state's funding stream for road maintenance and building, and other transportation programs. This funding stream is often strained, though. Last year, the National Conference of State Legislatures estimated that state transportation programs face $58 billion a year in unmet needs for maintenance and another $119 billion annually for improvements.
But how much are drivers paying in state and federal taxes when they buy a gallon of gas? And in which states are taxes the highest relative to the overall price of gas?
The per-gallon tax rates for all the states are listed below in the sortable table, along with the percentage that consumers pay in taxes in each state based on the average price of gasoline there. Percentages are given for taxes both with and without the federal excise tax of about 18 cents per gallon included. Figures are from the American Petroleum Institute and AAA. To sort, click on the top of each column.
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