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PRICE OF GASOLINE WHEN BIDEN LEFT OFFICE
Executive Summary
When President Joe Biden left office on January 20, 2025, multiple government and market data sources show the national average price for regular gasoline was about $3.08 per gallon, with contemporaneous market trackers placing the range roughly $3.06–$3.13. Some media headlines characterized that level as the “most expensive” on Biden’s final day, but primary federal monthly averages and independent price archives support a mid‑three‑dollar figure rather than an all‑time high [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. How the headline claim arose — simple number versus political narrative
News outlets and opinion pages produced headlines claiming Biden left office with the “most expensive average gas prices,” a claim traceable to contemporaneous weekly snapshots and selective comparisons. The Washington Examiner pieces referenced in the analyses cite a $3.125 per gallon weekly average around Biden’s last day and frame that figure as a notable political fact [4] [5]. Federal and compiled monthly datasets, however, report January 2025 as an average of $3.08 per gallon, which is a different measurement cadence than a weekly data point and can produce different impressions depending on whether one quotes a mid‑month weekly number or the entire month’s average [1] [3]. The divergence illustrates how choice of data window — weekly snapshot versus monthly average — drives contrasting headlines [2] [3].
2. Primary government data gives the most consistent baseline
Federal compilations provide reproducible monthly averages that are less sensitive to short‑term volatility and are therefore useful for a consistent baseline. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics and Department of Energy monthly datasets list January 2025 average regular gasoline at about $3.08 per gallon, a figure explicitly cited in the analyses and in the Alternative Fuels Data Center compilation [1] [3]. That monthly metric aligns with GasBuddy/AAA daily archives showing national averages in the $3.06–$3.13 band through January, indicating the $3.08 monthly average is a reasonable representation of prices at the time the administration changed hands [2] [3]. Using monthly averages reduces the effect of short spikes or dips that weekly or daily snapshots can exaggerate [1].
3. Contradictory headlines relied on weekly or selective regional figures
Some outlets highlighted a $3.125 figure and framed it as the peak under Biden, relying on a weekly measure or selective reporting of regional highs and lows rather than the national monthly average [4] [5]. Those reports also noted regional ranges and short‑run increases, which are factual but not equivalent to the federal monthly average [4]. The Axios and other independent trackers noted that prices had been under $3 in late 2024 and around $2.98 on some dates, underscoring volatility and the importance of the chosen comparison point [6]. The existence of multiple valid but different measures permits contrasting narratives: one can truthfully report a weekly high while another accurately reports the monthly average.
4. What the evidence does not support and what is omitted
The body of data does not support a claim that gasoline prices on January 20, 2025 were an unprecedented national high in U.S. history; federal monthly averages place January 2025 near $3.08, a level lower than peaks observed in 2022 and inconsistent with some headlines that framed the figure as a record [1] [3] [6]. Several analyses in the dataset explicitly state they do not provide the precise day’s price and instead report monthly or weekly aggregates, meaning any assertion about the exact price at the instant of the transfer of power relies on interpolation or selective daily archives [7] [6]. The omission of context about data cadence and historical peaks is the main gap driving divergent public impressions.
5. Bottom line for someone seeking a factual takeaway
For factual reporting, the most reliable synthesis of the provided sources is that the national average retail price for regular gasoline around Biden’s departure was approximately $3.08 per gallon, with daily trackers showing a narrow range roughly $3.06–$3.13 during January 2025. Headlines declaring Biden “ended with the most expensive average gas prices” reflect a particular choice of data window and framing rather than a contradiction of the underlying price series; careful citation of whether a figure is a weekly snapshot, daily average, or monthly average resolves the apparent conflict [1] [2] [4] [3]. Readers should prefer the federal monthly average for consistent cross‑period comparisons and note when commentators use alternate measures to support political points.