East Coast region
North CarolinaGas prices
EIA doesn’t publish a weekly price for North Carolina on its own. This figure starts from the Lower Atlantic average of $3.959 for the week of October 5, 2026 and adjusts it for North Carolina’s fuel tax, which is 4.2¢ a gallon above the regional norm. How we estimate it.
Lower Atlantic prices this week
The regional averages North Carolina’s figures are drawn from, in dollars per gallon.
- Regular
- $3.959
- Down $0.236 on the week
- Midgrade
- $4.447
- Down $0.222 on the week
- Premium
- $4.821
- Down $0.211 on the week
- Diesel
- $5.699
- Down $0.254 on the week
The regional price is toward the high end of its past-year range: over the past 52 weeks it has run from $2.621 to $4.195, averaging $3.403. It has moved +2.6% over four weeks and +11.1% over thirteen.
How much of a gallon is tax
North Carolina charges 41.3¢ a gallon in state tax, the 10th highest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.). With the federal tax that is 59.6¢, about 15% of the pump price.
| State excise tax | 41.00¢ |
|---|---|
| Other state taxes and fees | 0.25¢ |
| Federal excise tax | 18.40¢ |
| Total per gallon | 59.65¢ |
| On a 15-gallon fill | $8.95 |
| Over a year of typical driving | $286 |
From EIA’s notes for North Carolina: Gasoline and Oil Inspection fee: $0.0025/gal on all motor fuels.
Source: EIA federal and state motor fuel taxes, July 2026. A typical year assumes 480 gallons (about 12,000 miles at 25 mpg). Local sales taxes are not included.
Fuel tax in North Carolina and its neighbours
Across the line in Tennessee, state tax is 13.9¢ a gallon lower, which is $2.08 less tax on a 15-gallon fill.
| State | State tax | Versus NC | On a 15-gal tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 27.4¢ | −13.9¢ | −$2.08 |
| South Carolina | 28.8¢ | −12.5¢ | −$1.88 |
| Georgia | 34.0¢ | −7.2¢ | −$1.08 |
| North Carolina | 41.3¢ | — | — |
| Virginia | 42.4¢ | +1.1¢ | +$0.17 |
What driving in North Carolina costs
- A 15-gallon fill
- $60.02
- A year of typical driving
- $1,921
- Versus the national average
- $169 a year less
Planning a drive? The fuel cost calculator prices a trip at this week’s North Carolina figure, for your own car.
How we estimate the North Carolina price
The U.S. Energy Information Administration surveys retail gasoline prices every Monday, but it reports individual figures for only nine states. North Carolina is counted in the Lower Atlantic series, which averages it together with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Within one region, crude oil, refining and most delivery costs are shared. The biggest fixed difference from one state to the next is tax, which reaches the pump almost cent for cent. So we take the regional average and add the gap between North Carolina’s tax (41.3¢) and the average tax across the region’s states (37.0¢).
Local taxes, how busy the local market is and how far the state is from a refinery all move real prices too, so treat this as a guide to within a few cents, not a quote. Our methodology covers how every figure on the site is sourced.
Gas prices in North Carolina
- How much is gas in North Carolina right now?
- Regular gasoline in North Carolina is estimated at about $4.00 a gallon this week. That starts from the EIA's Lower Atlantic average of $3.959 and adjusts it for North Carolina's fuel tax, which is 4.2¢ a gallon above the average across the region's states. The national average is $4.354.
- How much is the gas tax in North Carolina?
- North Carolina charges 41.00¢ a gallon in state excise tax plus 0.25¢ in other per-gallon taxes and fees, 41.25¢ in all. That ranks 10 of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), highest first. With the 18.4¢ federal tax, a gallon carries 59.6¢ of tax.
- Is gas cheaper in a state next to North Carolina?
- On tax alone, yes. Tennessee has the lowest fuel tax of North Carolina's neighbours at 27.4¢ a gallon, 13.9¢ less than North Carolina. On a 15-gallon fill that is $2.08 less tax. Station prices vary, so the saving at any one pump can be larger or smaller.
- Why is there no official weekly gas price for North Carolina?
- The EIA's weekly survey samples about 1,000 stations nationwide, enough for reliable regional averages and for nine large states, but not for every state on its own. North Carolina is counted in the Lower Atlantic series, which is updated every Monday and published on Tuesday.