Gas prices in Sacramento have dropped, but a new California tax will change that soon

BY VINCENT MOLESK

BY EMILY ZENTNER

Although gasoline prices in Sacramento keep falling, a statewide tax set to take effect next month may change all that.

Prices dropped 8 cents in Sacramento last week amid a continued decline, bringing the average cost for a gallon of regular-grade gas to $3.74, according to fuel price tracker GasBuddy.

But beginning July 1, drivers may see a change in the trend, when a new California gas tax kicks in.

The current statewide tax on a gallon of gas is 41.7 cents, while the new tax will be 47.3 cents per gallon, a 5.6-cent increase.

California’s latest gas tax increase is about to kick in. Here’s what you can expect.

JUNE 17, 2019 12:05 PM

Right now, gas in Sacramento is 25.3 cents cheaper than it was a month ago, but 14.7 cents more expensive than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.

The cheapest place to get gas in the city is either at Bonfare Market at 3120 Northgate Blvd. or at the Snacks and Gas & 76 Station at 2199 El Camino Ave., where a gallon is $3.17, according to GasBuddy.

The average per-gallon price in Stockton in $3.69, while in Modesto it is $3.76 and in Oakland it is $3.86, according to GasBuddy.

Gas in Sacramento County is relatively cheap at an average price of $3.71 per gallon, while California’s current average is 10 cents higher, according to AAA.

The cheapest gas in the state can be found in Imperial County, where a gallon costs $3.65 on average, and the most expensive gas can be found in Mono County, where a gallon averages $4.74, according to AAA.

Prices in the United States fell 6.2 cents in the last week, bringing the national average to $2.67 per gallon, which is 19.3 cents lower than a month ago and 22.2 cents lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.

“For the sixth straight week, gasoline prices have declined nationally, a feat not often seen heading into the prime of summer driving season,” GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, said in a news release. “For some states like California, Illinois and Ohio, the party may partially end in just two weeks as those states prepare to raise gasoline taxes a noticeable amount, sending their gas prices higher just in time for July 4.”