Prices today are 43 cents lower as compared to the same time last year
WESTWOOD, Mass., July 28, 2025 — Like an ice cream cone on a hot day, the cost of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is dribbling down across the Northeast as inventories and modest demand remain conducive to falling prices.
Even as inventories of gasoline fell by a substantial 3.3 million barrels in the Northeast last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), stocks still sit squarely above levels seen in each of the past two years and are just shy of the five-year average. The significant drop last week is due in large part to a brief shutdown of refinery operations at Phillips 66’s Bayway refinery in Linden, N.J., after severe thunderstorms knocked out power and caused flooding issues. The refinery is a critical source of gasoline for the region.
Demand for gasoline, meanwhile, climbed last week to 8.967 million barrels a day — an increase of nearly 500,000 barrels a day from the previous week, according to the EIA. The figure is more in line with expectations for this phase of the summer driving season but is not high enough to raise concerns about impact on supply.
Another factor weighing down pump prices is the cost of crude oil, which settled at a three-week low Friday as markets remain unsure about the strength of the global economy.
“Typically, a refinery outage like the recent incident at the Bayway refinery in New Jersey could cause price spikes at the pump,” said Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “Thanks to the region’s healthy gasoline inventories, the potential price increases did not materialize and drivers are still enjoying seasonably low prices compared to last year.”
The average gas price in Massachusetts is down a penny from last week ($3.05), averaging $3.04 per gallon. Today’s price is 4 cents lower than a month ago ($3.08) and 43 cents lower than this day last year ($3.47). Massachusetts’ average gas price is 10 cents lower than the national average.
AAA Northeast’s July 28 survey of fuel prices found the current national average unchanged from last week ($3.14), averaging $3.14 per gallon. Today’s national average price is 5 cents lower than a month ago ($3.19) and 46 cents lower than this day last year ($3.50).
| Region | Current Price* | One Week Ago | One Month Ago | One Year Ago |
| Massachusetts | $3.04 | $3.05 | $3.08 | $3.47 |
| Rhode Island | $3.01 | $3.03 | $3.06 | $3.42 |
| Connecticut | $3.11 | $3.12 | $3.18 | $3.55 |
*Prices as of July 28, 2025
Today, Mississippi and Oklahoma have the lowest prices in the nation at $2.70 and $2.72, respectively. Hawaii and California hold the highest prices in the nation this week at $4.48 and $4.47, respectively. Massachusetts holds the 26th place on the list of highest gas prices in the nation.
The AAA Gas Prices website is your resource for up-to-date fuel price information. Search for average gas prices on national, state and metro levels by regular, plus, premium and diesel.
