Gas prices in Massachusetts keep dropping: ‘I’ve been buying under $3 a gallon’

In the same year that gas prices skyrocketed above $5 a gallon, drivers are now spotting gas deals for less than $3 a gallon in the Bay State.

“Can you believe it?” AAA Northeast’s Mary Maguire told the Herald on Tuesday as pump prices continue to slide across Massachusetts.

The average gas price in the state this week is down 6 cents from last week ($3.43), now averaging $3.37 per gallon, according to AAA.

Tuesday’s price was 39 cents lower than a month ago ($3.76), and 1 cent lower than last Dec. 27 ($3.38).

“I’ve been buying under $3 a gallon for at least two weeks,” said Maguire, VP of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Northeast. “Prices in many retailers are dropping below $3.

“Consumers should remember to always be vigilant when shopping around,” she added. “Shop around and fill your tank as inexpensively as possible. It’s a good way to celebrate a new year: Find the cheapest gas out there.”

Months ago, it was hard to imagine that prices would be cheaper today than they were at this same time last year.

Pump prices in June — following the Russian invasion of Ukraine — surged to a record high of $5.04 a gallon. Since then, prices have dropped $1.67 a gallon, or 33%.

Increasing supply and soft gasoline demand have been pushing prices lower.

“I think that if we continue with these cold temperatures and severe weather in so many parts of the country, it will compel people to stay indoors and not drive as much,” Maguire said. “That will likely continue to keep prices down.”

Average gas prices in Boston have fallen 4.8 cents per gallon in the last week, now averaging $3.41 a gallon, according to GasBuddy’s survey of stations in the city. Prices in Boston are 37.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 3.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

The cheapest station in Boston was priced at $2.79 a gallon, while the most expensive was $4.09 a gallon.

While the average price in Massachusetts is $3.37, according to AAA, the cheapest county to buy gas is Bristol County, where the average is $3.18 a gallon. The second least expensive gas county is Hampden County, where the average is $3.22, followed by Franklin County’s $3.23 average.

Plymouth County’s average is $3.28 a gallon, and Essex County’s average is $3.33.

AAA’s average for Suffolk County is $3.56 a gallon, while the most expensive gas in the state is on the Islands as usual — Nantucket’s average is $4.80 a gallon, and the average on Martha’s Vineyard is $4.43.