Cost of Driving in New Jersey - True Driving Cost

Key Findings

Driving in New Jersey costs an estimated $974 per year in fuel, ranking #43 among all states.
The average driver in New Jersey travels 8,554 miles per year, 2,773 miles below the national average.
Regular gasoline averages $2.962/gal (EIA Central Atlantic PADD regional average), with a combined state and federal gas tax of 55.5 cents/gal.
An EV driver in New Jersey would pay roughly $501/year for electricity, saving about 49% compared to gasoline.

Contents

Quick Facts
Gas Prices
Gas Taxes
Miles Driven
Annual Fuel Cost
Commuting
EV Comparison
Neighboring States
Data Sources

01 Quick Facts

Metric	Value	National Avg
Annual fuel cost (26 MPG fleet avg)	$974	$1,280
Regular gas price	$2.962/gal	$2.937/gal
Combined gas tax (state + federal)	55.5¢/gal	—
Miles driven per capita	8,554	11,327
Electricity rate (residential)	19.3¢/kWh	16.5¢/kWh
Driving cost rank	#43 of 51	—

FHWA PS-1 (2024), EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026), FHWA MF-121T (2022), EIA Form 861 (2024)

02 Gas Prices

Regular gasoline in New Jersey averages $2.962 per gallon (EIA Central Atlantic PADD regional average), which is $0.03 above the national average of $2.937. New Jersey ranks #11 among states for gas prices (1 = most expensive).

U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices, February 2026

03 Gas Taxes

New Jersey charges a state gasoline excise tax of 37.1 cents per gallon. Combined with the federal excise tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, drivers in New Jersey pay a total of 55.5 cents per gallon in fuel taxes. This ranks #10 among all states (1 = highest tax).

FHWA, Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates

At 8,554 miles per year and 26 MPG, the average driver in New Jersey pays roughly $183 in combined gas taxes annually.

Tax Component	Rate
State gasoline tax	37.1¢/gal
Federal gasoline tax	18.4¢/gal
Combined total	55.5¢/gal
Annual tax burden (at 8,554 mi, 26 MPG)	$183

FHWA MF-121T (2022); 26 U.S.C. §4081 (federal excise tax rate)

04 Miles Driven

The average driver in New Jersey travels 8,554 miles per year, ranking #42 among all states (1 = most miles). This is 2,773 miles below the national average of 11,327.

FHWA, Table PS-1: Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024

New Jersey has a total of 79.5 billion vehicle-miles traveled annually across all road types, with a population of 9,288,994 (94% urban).

FHWA PS-1, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census

05 Annual Fuel Cost

Based on New Jersey's average gas price and miles driven, here is the estimated annual fuel cost by vehicle type:

Vehicle Type	MPG	Annual Fuel Cost
Compact sedan	33	$768
Midsize SUV	26	$974
Pickup truck	20	$1,267

Calculated: VMT per capita ({s['vmt_per_capita']:,} mi) ÷ MPG × gas price (${s['gas_price']:.3f}/gal). MPG estimates from EPA Automotive Trends Report, 2023.

Estimate your vehicle's fuel cost using EPA data.

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06 Commuting

The average commute in New Jersey takes 31.4 minutes one way. About 63.3% of workers drive alone to work, while 9.6% use public transit and 14.0% work from home.

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023

Commute Metric	Value
Mean travel time to work	31.4 min
Drove alone to work	63.3%
Public transit	9.6%
Worked from home	14.0%

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801, 2023

07 EV Comparison

The average residential electricity rate in New Jersey is 19.3 cents per kWh, which ranks #11 among states (1 = most expensive). At an average EV efficiency of 3.3 miles per kWh, driving on electricity in New Jersey costs roughly $0.059 per mile compared to $0.114 per mile for gasoline.

EIA Form 861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024; EPA average EV efficiency ~3.3 mi/kWh

Metric	Gasoline	Electric
Cost per mile	$0.114	$0.059
Annual fuel/energy cost (8,554 mi)	$974	$501
Annual savings with EV	$473 (49%)

EIA Form 861 (2024); EIA Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices (Feb 2026); EPA Fuel Economy Guide

08 Neighboring States

Here is how New Jersey's driving costs compare to neighboring states:

State	Gas Price	VMT/Capita	Annual Cost
New Jersey	$2.962	8,554	$974
New York	$2.889	5,983	$665
Pennsylvania	$2.962	7,321	$834
Delaware	$2.962	10,037	$1,143

09 Data Sources

Federal Highway Administration: Table PS-1, Selected Measures for Identifying Peer States, 2024. fhwa.dot.gov
Federal Highway Administration: Highway Statistics 2022, Table MF-121T: State Motor-Fuel Tax Rates. fhwa.dot.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices by State/Region, February 2026. eia.gov
U.S. Energy Information Administration: Form EIA-861, Table 5A: Average Monthly Bill — Residential, 2024. eia.gov
U.S. Census Bureau: ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table S0801: Commuting Characteristics by Sex, 2023. data.census.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Automotive Trends Report, 2023. epa.gov

Disclaimer. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data is sourced from U.S. government agencies as cited. Gasoline prices change frequently and vary by station, grade, and payment method. Gas tax rates reflect FHWA 2022 data and may have been adjusted since publication. Annual cost estimates use the formula: VMT ÷ MPG × Price per Gallon.