TOPEKA, Kan. – Jan. 15, 2018 – Kansas motorists are paying a lot more at the gas pumps this week. The average gas price across the state rose to $2.37/gallon, a nine-cent increase in the past week. The higher prices continue to buck the usual winter trend of decreasing prices at the gas pumps.“Normally at this time of year, we experience falling gas prices, but demand has remained higher than expected,” said Shawn Steward, AAA Kansas spokesman. “Crude oil prices have also been fairly high to start 2018. These factors have kept prices at the pump higher than a typical winter.”
Kansas’ average gas price ranks 13th lowest in the United States this week and is 16 cents less than the national average. Of the 10 Kansas cities regularly highlighted by AAA Kansas (see chart below), all saw gas price increases this week, with the largest rises occurring in Lawrence (+16 cents), Kansas City, Kan. (+15), Garden City (+12), Salina (+10) and Wichita (+10).
According to AAA Kansas, this week’s Kansas gas price extremes are:
HIGH: Hill City (Graham County) – $2.62
LOW: Walton (Cherokee County) – $2.24
Gas Price Trends in Select Kansas Cities
|
Today
|
Last Week
|
Last Month
|
Last
Year
|
Change Over Last Year
|
|
|
National
|
$2.53
|
$2.49
|
$2.45
|
$2.34
|
8%
|
|
Kansas
|
$2.37
|
$2.28
|
$2.26
|
$2.21
|
7%
|
|
Emporia
|
$2.29
|
$2.27
|
$2.21
|
$2.13
|
8%
|
|
Garden City
|
$2.36
|
$2.28
|
$2.27
|
$2.20
|
7%
|
|
Hays
|
$2.35
|
$2.28
|
$2.26
|
$2.18
|
8%
|
|
KCK
|
$2.40
|
$2.25
|
$2.21
|
$2.25
|
7%
|
|
Lawrence
|
$2.41
|
$2.25
|
$2.25
|
$2.26
|
7%
|
|
Manhattan
|
$2.33
|
$2.32
|
$2.40
|
$2.19
|
6%
|
|
Pittsburg
|
$2.28
|
$2.20
|
$2.24
|
$2.20
|
4%
|
|
Salina
|
$2.35
|
$2.25
|
$2.18
|
$2.16
|
9%
|
|
Topeka
|
$2.35
|
$2.30
|
$2.30
|
$2.18
|
8%
|
|
Wichita
|
$2.37
|
$2.27
|
$2.19
|