Statewide average updated daily • Source: AAA
New Jersey gas prices are somewhat paradoxical — the state has one of the lower state gas tax rates on the East Coast yet prices often run above the national average due to reformulated fuel requirements, high operating costs in one of the most densely populated and expensive states in the country, and proximity to the high-price New York market. New Jersey does offer one notable convenience — like Oregon historically, New Jersey still requires full service at gas stations, meaning attendants pump your gas in most situations.
New Jersey’s state gas tax was significantly raised in 2016 and again in subsequent years as part of a transportation trust fund replenishment, bringing it to around 42 cents per gallon — higher than its historical low rates but still below Pennsylvania and New York.
New Jersey is located in the heart of the Northeast Corridor reformulated fuel zone, requiring a cleaner-burning but more expensive fuel blend. The state has some refinery access via facilities in the Philadelphia area and marine terminals along its coast, providing reasonably good supply infrastructure for a densely populated state.
The high cost of operating retail businesses in New Jersey — among the highest real estate and labor costs in the country — contributes to wider retail margins than lower-cost states. The full-service requirement adds labor cost that is built into the pump price, though the premium is typically only a few cents per gallon.
Did you know? New Jersey is the last state in the country that broadly requires full-service gas stations — a practice dating back to a 1949 law that New Jersey has repeatedly chosen to keep while every other state moved to self-service. New Jersey’s gas tax was among the lowest in the nation for decades, sitting unchanged at just 14.5 cents per gallon from 1988 to 2016. Despite being one of the smallest states by area, New Jersey has one of the highest concentrations of gas stations per square mile of any state, driven by its extraordinary population density and heavy commuter traffic.
Compare today’s average in New Jersey with nearby states to understand regional price differences.
Learn more about what drives gas prices across the United States.
Crude oil prices are the biggest driver of what you pay at the pump. For U.S. and global crude oil production data updated from EIA figures, see Oil Production Live.