Over 30,000 Mississippians get stories like this delivered to their inboxes for free.
Sign up for The Today, our daily newsletter, and continue to read this story.

Gas prices in the United States have significantly increased recently, with places such as California and Illinois experiencing some of the highest prices of $5 per gallon and upward, according to the American Automobile Association.
CBS reported on a combination of factors that have led to this situation:
• Over two years into the pandemic, economic recovery and increased vaccination rates mean a post-pandemic demand for gas as people are driving more for work, trips, etc.
• In the early days of the pandemic, oil production was cut due to low demand, and now production as a whole has been slow to catch up.
• The United States does not import much gas from Russia — less than 10%. But, U.S. sanctions do add to the issues with the overall global market.
Mississippi ranks lower with an average price of $4 per gallon. However, lower prices can still be financially impactful given states' varying economies.
Quick math: Gas price/wage comparison
Mississippi
Average gas price
$4.01/gallon
Average hourly wage
$23.51
Work hours needed to fill a 15-gallon tank
2 hrs 34 mins
California
Average gas price
$5.72/gallon
Average hourly wage
$37.18
Work hours needed to fill a 15-gallon tank
2 hrs 18 mins
As CNN puts it, Mississippians need to work two hours and 34 minutes to fill up a 15-gallon tank at an average price of $4.01, but Californians only have to work two hours and 18 minutes with a significantly higher average price per gallon of $5.72.