Arizonans labor over 90 hours a year to cover gas costs, website finds

PHOENIX – Arizonans have to work a little longer than the average American to cover their gas costs, according to GasBuddy.

Heading into Labor Day weekend, the website determined how many hours workers in each state labored annually to keep their motors running.

Arizona’s result was near the middle at 91.1 hours, but above the national average of 88.9 hours.

GasBuddy came up with its figures by using its calculations of average yearly gas demand and prices on Aug. 1, 2019 and May 2018 median wage data from the Department of Labor.

Gas prices will be the lowest this #LaborDay in 3 years, and speaking of labor, our latest study shows how many hours drivers need to work to pay for their annual gas bill: https://t.co/42iwtbcQ6M pic.twitter.com/sbP4nWrLjJ

— GasBuddy (@GasBuddy) August 27, 2019

Drivers in Nevada (107.4 hours), Montana (107.4) and Idaho (107.1) had to work their longest to cover their gas costs.

Massachusetts spent the shortest time at 67 hours.

“Rural communities oftentimes have wages that are lower than urban areas, while also having to commute longer distances with little to no mass transit,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick DeHaan said in a post on the site.

“The Northeastern U.S. generally has gas prices at or slightly higher than the national average, but commuters have many more options than driving their cars, which are also generally smaller than the vehicles found in rural communities.”

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