Gas Tax Comparison
Quality of Life

Arizona vs California: Gas Tax

Arizona has a lower state gas tax than California.

Arizona flag
Arizona
AZ • West
Winner
18.00 c/gal
State gasoline excise tax in cents per gallon. Lower = lower state fuel tax burden.
California flag
California
CA • West
54.00 c/gal
State gasoline excise tax in cents per gallon. Lower = lower state fuel tax burden.

Visual Comparison

Arizona 18.00 c/gal
California 54.00 c/gal

Difference: 36.00 c/gal — Arizona leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for gas tax.

Arizona #5 · 18.00 c/gal
California #49 · 54.00 c/gal
Best Worst

10 Best States — Gas Tax

Lower is better
#1 Alaska flag Alaska
8.95 c/gal
#2 Vermont flag Vermont
12.10 c/gal
#3 Hawaii flag Hawaii
16.00 c/gal
#4 New Mexico flag New Mexico
17.00 c/gal
#5 Arizona flag Arizona
18.00 c/gal
#6 Mississippi flag Mississippi
18.79 c/gal
#7 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
19.00 c/gal
#8 Louisiana flag Louisiana
20.00 c/gal
#9 Texas flag Texas
20.00 c/gal
#10 Colorado flag Colorado
22.00 c/gal
Selected states
#49 California flag California
54.00 c/gal

Arizona ranks 5th and California ranks 49th nationally for gas tax.

What This Means

Arizona vs California: Gas Tax in context

Arizona has a gas tax of 18.00 c/gal, compared with 54.00 c/gal in California. State gasoline excise tax in cents per gallon. Lower = lower state fuel tax burden.

Arizona
18.00 c/gal
California
54.00 c/gal
Difference
36.00 c/gal

People Also Ask

Arizona vs California Gas Tax — Common Questions

Q What is Arizona's gas tax?

Arizona's gas tax is 18.00 c/gal.

Q What is California's gas tax?

California's gas tax is 54.00 c/gal.

Q Which state has a lower gas tax — Arizona or California?

Arizona has a lower state gas tax than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.