Missouri’s average price per gallon for gasoline remained unchanged from last week as the national average fell 8 cents to $2.21 per gallon.
With an average price of $1.98 per gallon, Missouri ranks third behind Oklahoma and Kansas with average prices of $1.92 and $1.97, respectively. California, with an average price of $2.80 per gallon, held the bottom spot on
GasBuddy.com's list of the lowest average prices in the nation.
This morning, a Kansas City-area Sam’s Club had the lowest price in the state at $1.73 per gallon. The Sam’s Club at 745 W. El Camino Alto St. had the lowest local price of $1.76 per gallon.
Missouri’s average has decreased 41.3 cents over the past year, and it’s 18.1 cents higher than a month ago. The national average is 45.2 cents lower than the same day in 2015 but 16.8 cents higher than the same day a month ago, according to a news release.
Historical data from GasBuddy indicates a general decrease in the state’s May 9 prices over the past five years from $3.80 in 2011 to $2.40 in 2015.
“While it’s rare in May to see the national average price of gasoline nearly 2 cents lower from the previous week, we’ve seen that retail gasoline has consistently matched West Texas crude oil’s increases and subsequent plateaus since February,” said Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, in the release. “In 2015, we saw the national average peak in June, and the year before it peaked in April. So while the current plateau may seem encouraging for motorists, we still expect rising consumer demand to elevate gasoline prices as we approach the beginning of the summer driving season.”
West Texas intermediate crude oil was trading at $43.92 per barrel as of 9 a.m., compared to a 52-week range of $30.79 to $65.24. Light sweet crude futures for June were trading at $44.28 per barrel on the
New York Mercantile Exchange.
