Although the new year brought a three-and-a-half cent decrease in Pennsylvania’s gasoline tax, it’s not enough to make much of a dent in the difference between lower pump prices in Ohio.
As of January 1, Pennsylvania’s motor fuel tax dropped from 61.1 cents a gallon to 57.6 cents a gallon. Ohio's gasoline tax is 38.5 cents per gallon.
Even with that decrease, gasoline prices in the Keystone State are among the highest in the country, averaging $3.39 per gallon; thirty cents higher than the national average.
According to the latest Triple A fuel report, the average price of regular gas in Mercer County is $3.34.
At the same time, drivers who cross the state line into Ohio can find prices at the pump 72 cents per gallon cheaper, with prices averaging $2.62 per gallon in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties.
The difference may seem like just pennies, but if you fill up a 21-gallon tank on a pickup truck, those pennies turn into a $15 savings.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, lower prices at the pump reflect lower crude oil prices.