A 15-gallon tank of regular gas costs $66.60 ($4.44 a gallon) in the U.S. as of September 2026. In 1950 it cost $4.05 ($0.27 a gallon), or $56.35 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, a tank of gas costs 18% more today than in 1950.
Price at the time In September 2026 dollars
U.S. 15 gallons of regular unleaded. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Per tank | Per gallon | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $4.05 | $0.27 | $56.35 |
| 1951 | ≈$4.11 | ≈$0.27 | ≈$52.98 |
| 1952 | ≈$4.17 | ≈$0.28 | ≈$52.53 |
| 1953 | ≈$4.23 | ≈$0.28 | ≈$52.89 |
| 1954 | ≈$4.29 | ≈$0.29 | ≈$53.65 |
| 1955 | $4.35 | $0.29 | $54.42 |
| 1956 | ≈$4.41 | ≈$0.29 | ≈$54.34 |
| 1957 | ≈$4.47 | ≈$0.30 | ≈$53.31 |
| 1958 | ≈$4.53 | ≈$0.30 | ≈$52.53 |
| 1959 | ≈$4.59 | ≈$0.31 | ≈$52.69 |
| 1960 | $4.65 | $0.31 | $52.67 |
| 1961 | ≈$4.65 | ≈$0.31 | ≈$52.15 |
| 1962 | ≈$4.65 | ≈$0.31 | ≈$51.63 |
| 1963 | ≈$4.65 | ≈$0.31 | ≈$50.95 |
| 1964 | ≈$4.65 | ≈$0.31 | ≈$50.30 |
| 1965 | $4.65 | $0.31 | $49.50 |
| 1966 | ≈$4.79 | ≈$0.32 | ≈$49.43 |
| 1967 | ≈$4.94 | ≈$0.33 | ≈$49.56 |
| 1968 | ≈$5.09 | ≈$0.34 | ≈$49.01 |
| 1969 | ≈$5.24 | ≈$0.35 | ≈$47.88 |
| 1970 | $5.40 | $0.36 | $46.67 |
| 1971 | ≈$5.40 | ≈$0.36 | ≈$44.71 |
| 1972 | $5.40 | $0.36 | $43.32 |
| 1973 | $5.85 | $0.39 | $44.18 |
| 1974 | $7.95 | $0.53 | $54.07 |
| 1975 | $8.55 | $0.57 | $53.29 |
| 1976 | $8.85 | $0.59 | $52.15 |
| 1977 | $9.30 | $0.62 | $51.46 |
| 1978 | $9.45 | $0.63 | $48.60 |
| 1979 | $12.90 | $0.86 | $59.58 |
| 1980 | $17.85 | $1.19 | $72.63 |
| 1981 | $19.65 | $1.31 | $72.48 |
| 1982 | $18.30 | $1.22 | $63.59 |
| 1983 | $17.40 | $1.16 | $58.58 |
| 1984 | $16.95 | $1.13 | $54.70 |
| 1985 | $16.80 | $1.12 | $52.35 |
| 1986 | $12.90 | $0.86 | $39.47 |
| 1987 | $13.50 | $0.90 | $39.85 |
| 1988 | $13.50 | $0.90 | $38.26 |
| 1989 | $15.00 | $1.00 | $40.56 |
| 1990 | $17.25 | $1.15 | $44.25 |
| 1991 | $17.10 | $1.14 | $42.10 |
| 1992 | $16.95 | $1.13 | $40.51 |
| 1993 | $16.65 | $1.11 | $38.63 |
| 1994 | $16.65 | $1.11 | $37.67 |
| 1995 | $17.25 | $1.15 | $37.95 |
| 1996 | $18.45 | $1.23 | $39.45 |
| 1997 | $18.45 | $1.23 | $38.54 |
| 1998 | $15.90 | $1.06 | $32.71 |
| 1999 | $17.55 | $1.17 | $35.32 |
| 2000 | $22.65 | $1.51 | $44.10 |
| 2001 | $21.90 | $1.46 | $41.46 |
| 2002 | $20.40 | $1.36 | $38.02 |
| 2003 | $23.85 | $1.59 | $43.46 |
| 2004 | $28.20 | $1.88 | $50.06 |
| 2005 | $34.50 | $2.30 | $59.23 |
| 2006 | $38.85 | $2.59 | $64.62 |
| 2007 | $42.00 | $2.80 | $67.93 |
| 2008 | $60.42 | $4.03 | $94.10 |
| 2009 | $37.20 | $2.48 | $58.14 |
| 2010 | $41.85 | $2.79 | $64.34 |
| 2011 | $52.95 | $3.53 | $78.94 |
| 2012 | $54.60 | $3.64 | $79.74 |
| 2013 | $52.95 | $3.53 | $76.20 |
| 2014 | $50.55 | $3.37 | $71.61 |
| 2015 | $36.75 | $2.45 | $51.99 |
| 2016 | $32.10 | $2.14 | $44.85 |
| 2017 | $36.30 | $2.42 | $49.66 |
| 2018 | $40.80 | $2.72 | $54.48 |
| 2019 | $39.00 | $2.60 | $51.14 |
| 2020 | ≈$29.56 | ≈$1.97 | ≈$38.33 |
| 2021 | $47.12 | $3.14 | $57.99 |
| 2022 | $70.81 | $4.72 | $80.13 |
| 2023 | $54.30 | $3.62 | $59.60 |
| 2024 | $52.27 | $3.48 | $55.75 |
| 2025 | $47.31 | $3.15 | $49.14 |
| Sep 2026 (latest) | $66.60 | $4.44 | $66.60 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of September 2026. EIA state average gas prices, or EIA’s weekly city averages in the ten cities it tracks. Sixty large cities in states without an EIA city average use hand-set estimates.
| East Honolulu, HI | $95.77 |
| Hilo, HI | $95.77 |
| Pearl City, HI | $95.77 |
| Waipahu, HI | $95.77 |
| Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), HI | $95.77 |
| Dickinson, TX | $57.14 |
| Cloverleaf, TX | $57.14 |
| Pecan Grove, TX | $57.14 |
| Fresno, TX | $57.14 |
| Sienna, TX | $57.14 |
AAA and EIA average retail prices for regular gasoline.
For cities: EIA state average gas prices, or EIA’s weekly city averages in the ten cities it tracks. Sixty large cities in states without an EIA city average use hand-set estimates.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
Average car insurance cost by year
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.