Gas prices in California are slightly cheaper: report

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - It's a slight relief to California drivers- AAA Northern California reported that gas price averages dropped slightly this week.

Prices are 5 cents lower compared to last week, and significantly lower from this time last year, when prices were 61 cents higher in the Golden State, averaging $5.41 per gallon. 

Meanwhile, the national average is $3.17, 5 cents higher from last month's average.

"An increase in demand – as the weather gets nicer and more people get out and about – is pushing prices up slightly," said Doug Johnson with AAA Northern California. "The price of crude oil is also on the lower side at $62 a barrel, compared to $82 a barrel, which is what it cost one year ago."

By the numbers:

San Francisco gas prices average is $4.98. Across the Bay in Oakland, prices are slightly cheaper averaging at $4.91, and even cheaper in San Jose at $4.89. 

AAA Northern California, based in Walnut Creek, reported that California is the country's most expensive gas market at a $4.80 gallon average, followed by Hawaii at $4.51, Washington at $4.28, Oregon at $3.92, and Nevada at $3.87. 

The top three cheapest gas markets nationally are Kentucky and Kansas at $2.83 and Arkansas at $2.80.

Dig deeper:

Alternatively, Kentucky scored in the top 10 most expensive electric charging markets, averaging around 42 cents per kilowatt-hour, whereas Kansas made the top 10 cheapest states at 22 cents an hour. 

California averaged around 35 cents an hour.