California gas prices are dropping, expert says. What can you expect at the pump this summer?

Angela Rodriguez
·2 min read
17

Fueling up can be painful in California, where the average price of a gallon of regular gas costs nearly $2 more than the national average.

Fortunately, there’s some hope for drivers, according to AAA.

“Gas prices are on the decline,” AAA spokesman John Treanor told The Sacramento Bee via phone on Monday afternoon.

According to a May 16 news release from the automobile association, gas prices have been slowly decreasing due to “weak domestic demand and oil costs.”

“Right now, prices are down about 10 cents from a week ago and down 30 cents from one month ago,” Treanor said.

Here’s what current gas prices look like in California and what you can expect to pay this summer:

How much is gas in California?

As of Monday, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in California was about $5.20, according to AAA.

During this time last year, the statewide average was approximately $4.80.

Here are the average prices per gallon for regular gas around California’s metropolitan areas:

  • Bakersfield: $5.23 per gallon

  • Chico-Paradise: $5.13

  • El Centro: $5.09

  • Fresno: $5.16

  • Hanford-Corcoran: $5.19

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach: $5.17

  • Madera-Chowchila: $5.26

  • Merced: $5.24

  • Modesto: $5.10

  • Napa: $5.53

  • Oakland: $5.32

  • Orange County: $5.08

  • Redding: $5.04

  • Riverside: $5.08

  • Sacramento: $5.24

  • Salinas: $5.43

  • San Bernardino: $5.07

  • San Diego: $5.20

  • San Francisco: $5.39

  • San Jose: $5.27

  • San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles: $5.39

  • San Rafael: $5.37

  • Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc: $5.18

  • Santa Cruz-Watsonville: $5.41

  • Santa Rosa: $5.44

  • Stockton-Lodi: $5.10

  • Vallejo-Fairfield: $5.27

  • Ventura: $5.25

  • Visalia-Tulare-Porterville: $5.25

  • Yolo: $5.17

  • Yuba City: $4.96

Will gas prices increase or decrease this summer?

“We’re on a downward trajectory,” Treanor said. “We foresee this continuing into the summer.”

While the highest price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in California was recorded in June 2022, with a gallon averaging $6.44, he said prices will likely not reach that high this summer.

The current price of crude oil, which Treanor said is less than $80 per barrel, is a key factor driving down gas prices.

“About 60% of what you pay at the pump is dictated by how expensive crude oil is,” he said. “Right now, this price is typically low.”

However, he said prices can still fluctuate due to global events.

“A little over a month ago, we saw prices start to rise, because of what was happening in the Middle East and Russia,” Treanor said. “That is when prices for crude oil were on the rise.”

If the prices for crude oil continue to decline, he said, “We should likely see gas prices plateau where they are or continue to decrease.”