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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Gas costs for Hawaii drivers jump 50 percent in two years

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii drivers saw a more than 50 percent jump in what they pay annually at the pump between 2006 and 2008, a study by the National Resources Defense Council showed.

The group found the average Hawaii driver spent $2,102 on gasoline last year, or 56 percent more than the $1,349 they paid just two years prior.
The study was done to determine which state’s drivers are most vulnerable when it comes to average gasoline expenditure compared to income. Hawaii motorists typically pay the highest average price for gasoline in the nation but at the same time drive less than their Mainland counterparts.
In Hawaii drivers paid 5.2 percent of their income in 2008 for gasoline; that ranked 31st among states. That was up from 3.8 percent of income paid out in 2006, according to the report.
The group found Mississippi drivers paid the highest percentage of income for gasoline, spending 9.1 percent, or $2,702 annually. The average Connecticut driver paid the lowest at 3.24 percent of their income, or $1,825 annually.