---
title: "Gas in Michigan Is Hilariously Cheap"
description: "Cheap gas prices in Michigan get national attention."
date: "2016-01-18"
modified: "2016-01-18"
authors:
  - name: "Max Prince"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/max-prince"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/1731/gas-in-michigan-is-hilariously-cheap"
categories:
  - "News"
---

# Gas in Michigan Is Hilariously Cheap

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/gas_hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Eighteen months ago, crude oil climbed to more than $100 per barrel. Last week, that figure dipped below $30, the lowest it’s been in 12 years. Which means gas is cheap. *Real* cheap. And the state of Michigan is going crazy.

Yesterday, in the town of Houghton Lake, the [Beacon & Bridge Market dropped the price](<https://www.wxyz.com/news/michigan-becomes-first-state-to-welcome-back-gas-under-1>) of regular unleaded to $0.78 cents per gallon. Then a local news website [posted a photo](<https://nbc25news.com/news/local/gas-prices-continue-to-drop-in-houghton-lake>) of another nearby station’s advertised price of $0.47 cents a gallon. Other reports add that a third station, located across the street, was [offering gas at $0.98 a gallon](<https://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/18/northern-michigan-town-sub-dollar-fuel-prices/>).

According to an [NBC affiliate](<https://nbc25news.com/news/local/gas-prices-continue-to-drop-in-houghton-lake>), the prices were the result of a "gas war" between Houghton Lake’s filling stations, and have since been [raised back up to $1.43](<https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2016/01/18/gas-price-fell-77-cents-one-michigan-site/78957822/>) a gallon. But still. Take a moment to consider the gravity of this moment.

While Houghton Lake may be an outlier, the average price of 87-octane gasoline in Michigan right now is about $1.72 per gallon. Compare that with the lowest national average [recorded by the U.S. Department of Energy](<https://energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-835-august-25-average-historical-annual-gasoline-pump-price-1929-2013>), an inflation-adjusted $1.51 per gallon in 1998. Experts say gas prices will continue to fall. If that happens, we could be watching history in the making. Whether that’s actually a good thing in the grand scheme is [still debatable](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/1423/americas-getting-gas-price-amnesia>)…

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/themaxprince>)