RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WGNS News) – Gas prices may not be giving Middle Tennessee drivers much to smile about, but Rutherford County motorists are at least paying a little less than the statewide average. Tennessee remains among the cheaper states to fill up, though “cheap” is doing some heavy lifting these days.
Indiana currently takes the crown for the lowest-priced regular unleaded in the country, with 87-octane averaging $3.74 per gallon. Ohio is close behind at $3.87, while Georgia is averaging $3.89. Tennessee comes in at number seven on the list, with regular unleaded averaging $3.93 per gallon statewide. That is quite a jump from 12 months ago, when the Tennessee average was $2.75 per gallon.
Drivers needing premium fuel may want to avoid looking too closely at the pump. Premium gasoline in Tennessee is averaging $4.78 per gallon, while diesel has climbed to a whopping $6.02 per gallon. At those prices, filling up a large truck can start to feel less like buying fuel and more like making a small mortgage payment.
Closer to home, Rutherford County is doing slightly better than the state average, with regular unleaded averaging $3.85 per gallon. That puts Rutherford among roughly 15 Tennessee counties where 87-octane is averaging $3.85 or less, according to AAA - The Auto Club. Just north of Murfreesboro, Wilson County drivers are paying about $3.76 per gallon. South of Rutherford County, motorists in the Shelbyville area are seeing an average of $3.79. East of Rutherford County in the Woodbury area, however, the average jumps to $4.13 per gallon.
Drivers willing to head farther south may find a little relief. Moore County, located one county below Bedford County, is averaging $3.72 per gallon for regular unleaded. On the other hand, motorists who enjoy paying more for the same gallon of gasoline can travel west toward Brentwood and Franklin, where the average is $4.11 per gallon. Nashville drivers are paying about $3.99 per gallon.
Of course, Tennessee prices still look relatively tame compared with California, where regular unleaded is averaging $6.39 per gallon. Diesel in California has climbed to $8.35 per gallon, just below the recent peak of $8.43 per gallon recorded last month. At those prices, a road trip may require both a fuel budget and a financial advisor.
Nationwide, the average price for regular unleaded stood at $4.36 per gallon as of 7:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. For Rutherford County drivers, the good news is that local prices remain below both the Tennessee and national averages. The bad news is that nobody is exactly throwing a celebration at the gas pump.
