In California, gas prices highest in rural communities

Hailey Branson-Potts reports for the Los Angeles Times, "These parts of California have the nation's highest gas prices--and residents are reeling."  Turns out "these parts" are rural.  In particular, Branson-Potts provides illustrative anecdotes from Bridgeport and Lee Vining, in Mono County (Eastern Sierra);  Weaverville and Junction City, in Trinity County (Trinity Alps/far northern California); and Blue Lake and the Yurok Reservation in Humboldt County (far north coast).  Here's an excerpt: 

This week, the five counties in California with the priciest fuel were all in its rural north: Mono, Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Napa.

Mono, a county of 14,000 people where Bridgeport is located, had the most expensive gas in the U.S., according to the AAA. A gallon of regular gas cost an average $7.04 on Wednesday — nearly a dollar more than California’s statewide average of $6.07.

One Mono County resident mentioned that some are driving 45 miles to fill up in Douglas County, Nevada, where gas prices are $1.70/gallon lower.

“We’re hoping to get some relief,” said Mono County Supervisor Bob Gardner, whose constituents regularly commute 60 to 120 miles roundtrip to work, in part because of a major housing shortage.

Even in a state as vast and seemingly engineered for driving as California, the rural north can feel overwhelmingly spread out, with destinations — schools, workplaces, postal offices, hospitals, supermarkets, home supply stores — often separated by distances that would span several of Los Angeles County’s 88 cities.

These vast expanses are unkind not only to gas tanks, but also to wallets, with prices for commodities like milk and eggs higher than in more heavily populated parts of California because of the cost of trucking them there.

To cope, rural Californians have taken to rationing trips and hauling gas cans to Oregon and Nevada, where prices are cheaper. Some have resorted to stealing gas from other people’s vehicles.

The story quotes Dee Davis of the Center for Rural Strategies: 

When people are paying $6, $7, $8 a gallon for gasoline and trying to get to work, you quickly get to a point of diminishing returns.

The reality is rural economies have been struggling a long time,” forcing people to drive farther to find work. Traditional industries like farming, timbering and mining have been under intense pressure in a globalized economy ... and when we have these unplanned costs, it’s hard on everybody.

This is another excellent and deeply reported story by Branson-Potts.  It's a great explainer for anyone who wants to better understand why the cost of living in rural places is not necessarily lower than in urban ones.  The story provides concrete examples, e.g., why it makes sense to spend $100 on gas to shop at a Costco or Walmart Supercenter.  It also touches on the tribal context and how federal grants aren't stretching as far because of rising gas prices.