Gas prices by state — and what they mean for your take-home

A driver in California at $5.89/gal loses $4.90 more per hour to fuel than a Texas driver at $3.30/gal — on the exact same route in the same car.

Your Gas Price Impact Calculator

Gas Price: $4.50 / gal

Miles / Month for work

Reimburse Rate $/mi

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Prius net / month
(57 MPG)

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Camry Hybrid net / month
(51 MPG)

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Chevy Equinox net / month
(28 MPG)

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Prius advantage vs
Equinox / month

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Monthly gas cost
in Prius

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Annual advantage
Prius vs Equinox

Gas prices by state — 2026 averages

Click any state to load its price into the calculator above.

Why it matters: At 1,300 miles/month, the difference between California ($5.89) and Texas ($3.30) gas is $123/month in fuel costs for the same car. A California Prius driver and a Texas Equinox driver can end up with the same net take-home — because the efficiency advantage of the Prius partially offsets the higher fuel price.

How gas price changes the hybrid decision

The higher your local gas price, the faster a hybrid pays off. This is because the dollar savings per mile scale with the price — a 30 MPG vs 57 MPG difference is worth $0.09/mile at $3.30/gal, but $0.19/mile at $5.89/gal.

In California, a Prius driver saves $188/month in fuel versus an Equinox driver at 1,300 miles/month. In Texas, the same comparison saves $106/month. The hybrid is worth it in both states — but the argument is much stronger in high-price markets.

Rule of thumb: Every $0.50/gal increase in gas price adds roughly $19–$38/month to the Prius advantage over a 28 MPG gas car (at 1,300 miles/month). In a market where gas swings $1.00/year, that's $38–$75/month in volatility protection that a hybrid driver simply doesn't face.

Hybrid owners are also protected from gas price spikes. When prices jump 20% in a week (as they did in late 2022 and spring 2024), a 57 MPG driver absorbs 57% less of that increase than a 28 MPG driver. For someone driving 1,500+ miles/month, this is a meaningful financial buffer.

See which hybrid wins at your exact gas price

The full report ranks all 20 hybrids by net take-home using your actual gas price, miles, and reimbursement rate — not national averages.

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