RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Brace yourselves, Rutherford County residents! It seems the universe has thrown us a bone—albeit a tiny one. While gas prices statewide edged up by a whole two cents since last Monday, our local pumps have held steady at $2.69 per gallon. But the news gets better when you compare gas prices from the close of last week to the start of this week. On Thursday, the Murfreesboro/Smyrna area had an average gas price of $2.77 per gallon. This week, the pumps graciously shaved off eight cents, bringing the average cost for regular unleaded down to $2.69, according to AAA, the Auto Club. That’s a glorious eight-cent drop compared to the tail end of last week. Try not to spend that saved change all at once!
South of Murfreesboro, the Shelbyville area is experiencing its own price "plunge," with regular unleaded now averaging $2.74—a mighty .3-cent dip since this past Thursday. It seems Bedford County motorists can now afford an extra Tic Tac or two with their savings. Premium fuel, however, remains the wallet-drainer we love to hate. Across Tennessee, premium-grade gas has “plummeted” by a staggering half a cent to $3.50 per gallon. Imagine what you could do with that extra half a cent—perhaps almost cover the cost of a gum ball from 1995?
Knoxville drivers are winning the gas lottery this week, with the cheapest metro-area prices at $2.65 for regular unleaded and $3.41 for premium. Meanwhile, Nashville isn’t singing such sweet tunes, boasting the state’s third-highest fuel prices at $2.75 per gallon for regular unleaded and $3.58 for premium. That’s an eyebrow-raising .84-cents difference between premium and regular. Looks like the Music City’s gas pumps are playing in a higher key.
For those truly seeking sticker shock, head east to Johnson City, where regular unleaded is averaging $2.76 per gallon—the highest in Tennessee’s metro areas. And premium? It’s still a jaw-dropping $3.48, a difference of .72-cents compared to regular unleaded. Someone fetch us a fainting couch.
DIESEL: As for diesel, Tennessee drivers have a reason to be mildly optimistic. Diesel prices are down to an average of $3.27 per gallon, a .69-cent drop from last month’s $3.96. Sure, it’s not a reason to break out the party hats, but at least the numbers are headed in the right direction.
MORE ON GAS: So, while gas prices remain a far cry from the good ol’ days, at least we can savor these fractional victories. Who knows? Maybe next week we’ll see a whole penny drop. Dare to dream, Tennessee!
On Monday, Tennessee ranked seventh for having the lowest regular unleaded gas prices in the country. The state with the absolute lowest prices was Oklahoma (#1), where the average cost for a gallon of gas was $2.51 per gallon. Hawaii holds the title for the highest-priced fuel in the country today, averaging $4.57 per gallon, with California close behind at $4.44 per gallon for reg.
10-YEARS: GasBuddy compiled a report of the historic gas prices in TN over the past 10-years and compared state prices to the U.S. Average in the below statistics:
- November 25, 2023: $2.86/g (U.S. Average: $3.24/g)
- November 25, 2022: $3.09/g (U.S. Average: $3.55/g)
- November 25, 2021: $3.08/g (U.S. Average: $3.38/g)
- November 25, 2020: $1.86/g (U.S. Average: $2.12/g)
- November 25, 2019: $2.27/g (U.S. Average: $2.60/g)
- November 25, 2018: $2.31/g (U.S. Average: $2.53/g)
- November 25, 2017: $2.26/g (U.S. Average: $2.50/g)
- November 25, 2016: $1.94/g (U.S. Average: $2.12/g)
- November 25, 2015: $1.88/g (U.S. Average: $2.05/g)
- November 25, 2014: $2.59/g (U.S. Average: $2.80/g)
Neighboring areas and their current gas prices:
- Chattanooga- $2.63/g, up 4.8 cents per gallon from last week's $2.58/g.
- Nashville- $2.74/g, down 0.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.74/g.
- Huntsville- $2.74/g, down 0.8 cents per gallon from last week's $2.75/g.
GasBuddy News: "Ahead of Thanksgiving, motorists continue to be teased by the prospect of a $2.99 per gallon national average, a level now seen in 32 states. But for the last few weeks, the stars just haven’t quite aligned," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "Last week, Russia's threats after Ukraine used long-range U.S. missiles pushed oil prices back above $70 per barrel. Now, some promotions ahead of Thanksgiving are pushing gas prices back down, even as oil remains elevated. For now, we're just pennies away from the national average falling to $2.99, but for a third year, we may again fall short. As Americans prepare to hit the road for Thanksgiving, we're seeing the lowest national average price of gasoline since 2021, with a far better economic picture than when gas prices were last this low."
