HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Prices at the gas pump are varied across the area, with the average price locally for regular unleaded now at $2.45 per gallon, a drop of 4 cents from Monday.
Some complain that this price is still higher than other cities in the area, however, if it makes you feel any better, the price locally is still below the state average of $2.52 per gallon, according to Triple A Kansas.
If you’re traveling to Colorado for vacation or business, the price there is the highest of surrounding states with the average price of $2.84 per gallon. The cheapest of area states is Missouri where the price is $2.43 per gallon.
Analysts expect the price at the pump to drop even further.
“Crude oil prices have continued to sag, due to persisting global oversupply and concerns about the health of the Chinese economy. Evidence of slower than projected growth there is rippling through global markets and has put additional downward pressure on the price of crude,” Jim Hanni, Triple A’s Kansas Spokesman, said.
Most profoundly, the average price of gas today, both nationally and the Kansas average, is at the lowest level for August 24 since 2004, due to the steep decline in the cost of crude oil. The attached chart tells the Kansas story for August 24 since 2004.