Perry County drivers are paying the highest gas prices in the state as Alabama’s statewide average crossed the $4 mark this week for the first time since 2022.
The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Perry County stood at $4.27 on Monday, the highest of any county in Alabama, according to AAA. Neighboring Wilcox County was close behind at $4.23, while the statewide average reached $4.006. The national average was $4.48.
The spike marks a dramatic increase from earlier this year. In mid-February, the Alabama statewide average was $2.61 per gallon, meaning prices have risen roughly $1.39 in less than three months. A year ago, the statewide average was $2.73.
The surge has been particularly steep over the past week. The statewide average was $3.79 a week ago and $3.83 a month ago before jumping above $4 this week, according to AAA.
Prices across the Black Belt have generally exceeded the state average.
- Hale County averaged $4.11
- Marengo County stood at $3.93, one of the few counties in the region still below $4
- Montgomery averaged $4.04
Even at $4 a gallon, Alabama remains well below the national average of $4.48, and far below states like California, where drivers are paying nearly $5.84 per gallon.
The price increases have been driven in part by rising crude oil costs tied to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed oil prices up nearly 50 percent since the start of the conflict, according to industry analysts.
Rural counties like Perry and Wilcox, which have fewer gas stations and are farther from major distribution hubs, typically pay more than urban areas even under normal conditions. The current spike has widened that gap.
