Florida gas prices rise 7 cents while oil prices dip

oil pump and nozzles at the gas station on the street in daylight

Gas prices in Florida rose 7 cents, week over week, according to the latest numbers from AAA — The Auto Club Group.

On Monday, the average Sunshine State cost for a gallon of gas was $3.17. Last Monday, it was $3.10, just 1 cent more than the Monday before.

That’s despite falling oil prices.

According to Reuters, oil prices declined on Monday and were predicted to drop for the third straight month amid a strong supply outlook and demand outweighing concerns about mounting hostilities in the Middle East.

The price of oil influences about half the price of gasoline. According to AAA, “As a rule, a dollar shift in crude is equivalent to about a 2.5-cent move in gas prices.”

There are also residual effects of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall with Florida on Thursday at Category 4 strength.

AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross told Kelley Blue Book that the storm would likely impact demand, but not supply, as motorists in the Southeast struggle to refill while navigating road damage, power outages, flooding and shuttered service stations.

Delivery of gasoline to stations should also prove more difficult.

As usual, the priciest metropolitan market for drivers and motorcyclists is the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area, where the average price for a regular gallon of gas is $3.33, followed by Naples ($3.23) and Homosassa Springs ($3.22).

The cheapest gas, meanwhile, is in the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach area ($2.87), Panama City ($2.91) and Pensacola ($2.92).

Florida is in the middle of the road, so to speak, in terms of gas prices. The most expensive state is California, where a gallon costs $4.70, followed by Hawaii ($4.60) and Washington ($4.05).

The most affordable pump prices are in Mississippi ($2.68), Texas ($2.73) and Louisiana ($2.75).