ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Why are gas prices cheaper in the City of Rochester compared to some surrounding counties such as Yates and Ontario?

Imagine this. You fill up your gas tank out in Yates County, then you drive into the City of Rochester where you discover gas is more than 50 cents cheaper. Brenda says: “The national average gas price is $3.28 and I see that they are below that in the Rochester area. Why are they still sitting at $3.79 in Ontario and Yates counties?”

AAA says there are a couple of reasons why prices vary. Gas station owners set their own prices based on supply, delivery costs, operational costs, and local taxes:

• Availability: If severe weather shuts down roads, wholesale prices will be affected, and consumers will feel it.
• Delivery: The closer a gas station is to a refinery, the less it will cost for delivery. AAA says “if you own a gas station that is five minutes off the Thruway, you’ll pay one price for delivery. If you own a gas station that is 45 minutes off the Thruway, you’ll pay a higher price.”
• Operational costs depends on paying employees and maintaining pumps.
• Local taxes depend on where you live.

All these factors will have an impact on what you pay at the pump. AAA says it’s difficult to pin it down to one specific reason for price differences. Instead, it’s a combination of factors that determine where gas station owners set their prices.

The average gas price in Rochester on Wednesday is $3.64 per gallon. You can see the latest gas prices on AAA’s website.

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