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Gas prices have remained low across the United States despite the onset of summer travel – and despite major instability in one of the world’s key oil-producing areas. And while a slight uptick is forecast ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, fuel prices continue to defy the inflationary pressures seen in other sectors of the American consumer economy.
According to the latest numbers from AAA, the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline this week was $3.185 – roughly 40 cents below last year’s average price of $3.491.
“Summer gas prices are still the lowest they’ve been since 2021,” AAA noted.
That’s excellent news on multiple fronts – especially for those about to hit the road for the upcoming holiday. According to AAA, a whopping 61.6 million Americans are expected to travel by car between June 28, 2025 and July 6, 2025 – a 2.2% increase over last year’s holiday traffic and the highest Fourth of July volume on record. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s an additional 1.3 million people on America’s highways.
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South Carolina’s average price for a gallon of regular unleaded clocked in at $2.861 this week – ninth-lowest reading nationally. That’s well below last year’s average of $3.202 per gallon.
Gas prices are currently lowest in northwest corner of the Palmetto State – including Oconee ($2.741), Anderson ($2.752) and Pickens ($2.758) counties. They are currently highest in rural Hampton ($3.005) and Calhoun ($3.009) counties.
Visually inclined? Our inimitable research director Jenn Wood has you covered…
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While South Carolina’s gas prices have historically registered below the national average, that doesn’t mean its citizens have benefited as a result. As FITSNews has consistently noted, income levels in the Palmetto State remain historically low – which means its residents typically wind up paying a much higher percentage of their earnings on fuel than residents of other states.
In fact, according to 2022 data compiled from multiple federal agencies by FinanceBuzz, the average South Carolinian paid 4.82% of their monthly income on gasoline – the eighth-highest reading in the entire nation.
South Carolina’s “Republican” legislative majority imposed a 71.6% tax hike on gasoline beginning on July 1, 2017 and ending on July 1, 2022 – raising this levy from 16.75 cents per gallon to 28.75 cents per gallon over that time period. This massive increase was purportedly “opposed” by governor Henry McMaster – but the truth behind that two-step has been exposed repeatedly by this media outlet.
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While supporters of the gas tax hike vowed it would “fix our roads,” the Palmetto State has struggled to make progress on long-overdue infrastructure enhancements – including Interstate 95 and a long-awaited upgrade of a key regional interchange system just northwest of Columbia, S.C.
Both of those projects are decades behind schedule…
As always, count on FITSNews to continue tracking key consumer indicators and holding those in power accountable when their policies impact them.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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