Columbus gas prices continue to fall post presidential election

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Columbus has once again fallen below $3 per gallon, further proving that gas prices have nothing to do with elections, experts say.

According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in the Columbus area, the average price at the pump fell by 10.5 cents per gallon last week to reach $2.96. The current price is 25.9 cents per gallon lower than last month and 29.6 cents per gallon lower than this time one year ago.

The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.72 a gallon, while the most expensive was $3.53, a difference of 81 cents per gallon. In Ohio, the average price of gas also fell by 15.6 cents from $2.99 per gallon to $2.84 per gallon.

Nationally, gas prices also experienced a small decline of 2.6 cents per gallon to reach $3.03, while the price of diesel continues to hit new lows since January 2022, settling at $3.54 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan, the decline in fuel prices is common this time of year due to supply and demand, and it has very little, if anything, to do with politics, politicians or elections.

Columbus Gas Prices Tracker

To wit: Columbus gas prices, which actually increased the week of the election, have steadily declined since the end of the summer, before, during and after the presidential election. De Haan also expects gas prices to hit new lows as Thanksgiving approaches.

"While the election has come and gone, gas prices have stayed the course, with the national average price of gasoline declining for a fourth consecutive week as seasonal demand weakens and Americans begin to take refuge from falling temperatures," said De Haan. “With the median U.S. gas price now at $2.95 per gallon, the lowest since 2021, it appears to be just a matter of time before the national average falls below $3 per gallon for the first time since May 2021.”