As higher gas prices squeeze Ohioans' wallets, the state's gubernatorial candidates are looking for ways to cut the gas tax and provide relief at the pump.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton was the first to call for a gas tax holiday. Republican billionaire entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has proposed a detailed plan to suspend Ohio's gas tax for three months and is working with Ohio's GOP-controlled Legislature to pass it quickly.
On Sept. 21, the average price for regular gas in Ohio was $4.52 per gallon, slightly higher than the national average, according to AAA.Ohio's prices are up from $4.16 per gallon a week ago, $4.09 per gallon a month ago, and $3.04 at this time last year.
Regular gas prices in Franklin County are averaging
about $4.48 per gallon, according to AAA. In Columbus, the average is $4.50, compared with $4.15 a month ago and $3.07 a year ago. Diesel prices are currently hovering at around $6.86 per gallon, according to AAA.
Gas Buddy late Sept. 22 reported prices in Columbus ranging from $4.06 per gallon to $4.39 per gallon and outlying areas in central Ohio as high as $4.59 per gallon.
Gas prices have spiked since the Iran War disrupted transportation through the Strait of Hormuz, a major choke point for oil trade. Congress isn't expected to approve a federal gas tax holiday, and President Donald Trump recently called the high gas prices"a very inexpensive price to pay" to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
How does Ohio's gas tax compare to other states?
Ohio's gas tax was set in July 2019 through House Bill 62, which increased the tax from 28 cents per gallon to the current 38.5 cents per gallon. The state also imposes a 47-cent-per-gallon tax on diesel fuel.
Ohio's gas tax is the 14th highest in the country, according to the Tax Foundation. Drivers also pay an 18.4-cent-per-gallon federal gas tax that doesn't fluctuate. Revenue from those taxes helps fund road construction, maintenance and other transportation improvements.
Although Ohio has one of the higher gas taxes in the country, three neighboring states charge drivers even more, according to the Tax Foundation.
Pennsylvania's gas tax, for example, is 58.7 cents per gallon, the fifth highest in the country.
Gas taxes in Michigan and Indiana are considerably higher than Ohio's, at 53.4 cents and 63.1 cents per gallon, respectively. Michigan has the sixth-highest gas tax in the country, while Indiana ranks third.
California, Illinois, Indiana, Washington, and Pennsylvania are the top five states with the highest gas tax.
Two states bordering Ohio have lower gas taxes. West Virginia's is slightly lower than Ohio's at 35.7 cents per gallon, ranking 15th nationally. Kentucky's gas tax is even lower at 26.4 cents per gallon, putting it at 33rd among the 50 states.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How does Ohio's gasoline tax compare to its neighbor states, others?
