Walmart Gas Prices in September 2026: Up 9.10% Nationwide as Diesel Jumps 73 Cents
After a flat August, September broke the usual fall pattern. Across 1,545 Walmart Supercenter and Neighborhood Market fuel stations in 35 states, regular unleaded climbed 32.8 cents, diesel jumped 72.7 cents, and 96% of stations ended the month higher than they started it.
Sep 30 Regular Avg
$3.929
+$0.328 (+9.10%) vs Sep 1
Monthly Peak (Sep 25)
$4.053
+45.2¢ above the Sep 1 low
Diesel Month Change
+$0.727
+14.02% (Climbed to $5.917)
Walmart vs. EIA Avg
-46.5¢
EIA National: $4.465 on Sep 28
Gas prices usually ease after Labor Day, once the summer-blend requirement lifts in mid-September. September 2026 went the other way. At the 1,545 fuel stations we track at Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets (Walmart-branded pumps plus co-located Murphy USA stations), the national regular unleaded average rose from $3.601 on September 1 to $3.929 on September 30, an increase of 32.8 cents (+9.10%).
Almost all of it arrived in steps rather than as a slow drift: a 22.7-cent jump in a single day on September 10, another 16.5 cents over September 16–17, and a final push that lifted the network average above $4.00, peaking at $4.053 on September 25. Diesel did worse, climbing 72.7 cents to $5.917. The one big exception was Georgia, where a state gas-tax suspension knocked about 33 cents off Walmart pump prices on the last day of the month.
1. All Fuel Grades: September 1 vs. September 30
Every grade rose by roughly the same number of cents, about 33 to 35, so the percentage increase was largest for regular. Diesel rose more than twice as much.
| Fuel Grade | Sep 1 | Sep 30 | Change ($) | Change (%) | Sep Avg | Sep High | Sep Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Unleaded | $3.601 | $3.929 | +$0.328 | +9.10% | $3.900 | $4.053 (9/25) | $3.601 (9/01) |
| Midgrade | $4.029 | $4.372 | +$0.343 | +8.50% | $4.335 | $4.489 (9/25) | $4.029 (9/01) |
| Premium | $4.373 | $4.721 | +$0.348 | +7.96% | $4.680 | $4.835 (9/25) | $4.373 (9/01) |
| Diesel | $5.190 | $5.917 | +$0.727 | +14.02% | $5.853 | $6.093 (9/22) | $5.190 (9/01) |
2. Why Prices Rose When They Usually Fall
Walmart pumps followed the national market. Public benchmarks from AAA and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) show the same climb:
- Crude near $100 a barrel: AAA linked the rise to volatility around the Strait of Hormuz, which pushed crude from the $90s back to about $100 a barrel. Its national average rose 13 cents in the week to September 10 and another 16 cents in the week to September 17. On September 24 it reached $4.48, the highest AAA has recorded for that time of year.
- The winter-blend switch didn't help: The summer-blend requirement ended on September 15, which usually takes some cost out of gasoline. This year the higher crude price more than cancelled it. The 15–25 cent fall we forecast in August did not happen.
- Walmart still undercut the market: In the EIA's September 28 weekly survey, the U.S. average for regular was $4.465. Walmart stations averaged $4.000 that day, 46.5 cents cheaper, or about $7 less on a 15-gallon fill-up. EIA's diesel average was $6.382, against $5.990 at Walmart, a gap of 39.2 cents.
3. A Month of Step Increases
The national regular average rose in short jumps, and prices drifted only slightly lower in between:
The 22.7¢ One-Day Jump
Prices rose about 9 cents over Labor Day week to $3.694, held near $3.68 for four days, then jumped 22.7 cents in one day to $3.908 on Thursday, September 10.
Breaking $4.00
After easing to $3.851 by September 15, prices rose 16.5 cents over September 16–17 to $4.016, then reached the monthly peak of $4.053 on Friday, September 25.
A 12.4¢ Pullback
Prices fell for five straight days, by 12.4 cents in total, to close at $3.929. Georgia's tax holiday accounts for about 2 cents of the 4.5-cent drop on the final day.
Which Day of the Week Was Cheapest?
Tuesday averaged 16.6 cents less than Thursday. Part of that is timing: in a rising month, the big increases landed on Wednesdays and Thursdays (September 10 and 16–17), so filling up early in the week kept you ahead of each jump.
4. Regional Breakdown: Midwest and West Led the Climb
Every Census region ended the month higher, but by different amounts:
| Census Region | Stations | Sep 1 Avg | Sep 30 Avg | Net Change ($) | Net Change (%) | Sep Monthly Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | 83 | $4.333 | $4.746 | +$0.413 | +9.53% | $4.610 |
| Midwest | 232 | $3.694 | $4.101 | +$0.407 | +11.02% | $4.048 |
| South | 1,221 | $3.531 | $3.838 | +$0.307 | +8.70% | $3.822 |
| Northeast | 9 | $3.983 | $4.257 | +$0.273 | +6.86% | $4.200 |
The Midwest gave back all of its August decline and more: it fell 15.8 cents in August and rose 40.7 cents in September. Without Georgia's tax holiday on the final day, the South (1,221 stations, most of the network) would have posted a larger increase. Georgia's 97 stations alone pulled the regional average down by more than 2 cents on September 30.
5. State-by-State: Who Escaped the Spike?
Only one state finished September lower than it started: Colorado, where Front Range stations follow a sharp price cycle. Prices jumped 29 cents on September 10 and 12 cents on September 17, then slid steadily to $3.749 by month-end.
| 1. Colorado (9 stations) | -22.1¢ (-5.57%) |
| 2. Georgia (97 stations) | +4.0¢ (+1.10%) |
| 3. Montana (1 station) | +4.0¢ (+0.91%) |
| 4. Washington (4 stations) | +17.0¢ (+3.59%) |
| 5. Wyoming (2 stations) | +24.0¢ (+6.10%) |
| 6. Iowa (19 stations) | +25.1¢ (+6.74%) |
| 1. Utah (23 stations) | +61.5¢ (+14.66%) |
| 2. Indiana (39 stations) | +46.0¢ (+14.19%) |
| 3. California (13 stations) | +68.8¢ (+13.55%) |
| 4. Nebraska (3 stations) | +47.7¢ (+13.04%) |
| 5. Ohio (42 stations) | +45.0¢ (+12.37%) |
| 6. Illinois (45 stations) | +48.9¢ (+12.20%) |
Georgia's Gas-Tax Holiday
Governor Brian Kemp suspended Georgia's 33.3-cent-per-gallon gasoline excise tax (37.3 cents on diesel) from September 29 through October 29. Walmart's Georgia stations had risen from $3.597 to $3.997 by September 26. They then fell 32.8 cents in one day, from $3.965 on September 29 to $3.637 on September 30, almost the full value of the tax. That moved Georgia from the middle of the table to the cheapest state for Walmart gas, and put all six of the network's cheapest stations in Georgia.
Cheapest States on September 30Regular avg
- 1. Georgia (97 stations)$3.637
- 2. Indiana$3.701
- 3. Texas (350 stations)$3.720
- 4. Colorado$3.749
- 5. Mississippi$3.806
- 6. Louisiana$3.812
- 7. Tennessee$3.830
- 8. South Carolina$3.864
Most Expensive States on September 30Regular avg
- 1. California (13 stations)$5.768
- 2. Washington$4.899
- 3. Idaho$4.881
- 4. Utah$4.809
- 5. Arizona$4.501
- 6. Illinois$4.497
- 7. Montana$4.419
- 8. Michigan$4.388
6. Station-Level Records
Of the 1,545 stations with readings at both ends of the month, 1,489 (96.4%) rose, 51 fell, and 5 were unchanged. The median station rose 34 cents. On September 30, the cheapest and most expensive Walmart stations were $2.49 per gallon apart.
Cheapest Stations, Sep 30
- 1. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (#1458)$3.399
- 2. Albany, GA (#4517)$3.459
- 3. Warner Robins, GA (#840)$3.459
- 4. Warner Robins, GA (#920)$3.459
- 5. Warner Robins, GA (#3750)$3.469
- 6. Locust Grove, GA (#5709)$3.469
Priciest Stations, Sep 30
- 1. San Jacinto, CA (#5425)$5.889
- 2. Lakewood, CA (#2609)$5.879
- 3. Kerman, CA (#5701)$5.869
- 4. Fresno, CA (#2001)$5.859
- 5. Perris, CA (#1747)$5.859
- 6. Fresno, CA (#2985)$5.849
Biggest Individual Moves
- Biggest increases: Sacramento, CA (#3081) rose 90 cents ($4.899 to $5.799), as did Scottsdale, AZ (#2766) ($3.859 to $4.759). Fresno, CA (#2985) added 86 cents and El Paso, TX (#500) added 83 cents.
- Biggest drops: All in Colorado. Both Pueblo stations (#1001 and #5828) fell 35 cents ($4.049 to $3.699), and Greeley (#5051) and Brighton (#4567) each fell 32 cents.
7. Operator Comparison: Murphy USA vs. Walmart-Branded Pumps
Murphy USA at Walmart
$3.898 Sep 30 avg
+$0.329 (+9.22%) month change
September Monthly Average: $3.874 • Diesel Sep 30: $5.926
Walmart-Branded Pumps
$4.004 Sep 30 avg
+$0.325 (+8.83%) month change
September Monthly Average: $3.964 • Diesel Sep 30: $5.897
Both operators rose by about the same amount, so Murphy USA stayed about 10.6 cents cheaper on regular at month-end, roughly the same gap as in August. On diesel, Walmart-branded pumps finished slightly cheaper. The 260 Neighborhood Market stations averaged $3.823 on September 30, 12.7 cents below Supercenters ($3.950).
8. Consumer Playbook: Saving in October
Fill Up Before Midweek
September's increases mostly landed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. While prices are still volatile, a Monday or Tuesday fill-up is the cheapest default.
Georgia Drivers: Use the Tax Holiday Window
The suspension runs through October 29 unless it is extended. Drivers near the Tennessee, Alabama, or South Carolina lines can save 19 to 26 cents a gallon by filling up on the Georgia side ($3.637 vs. $3.830–$3.899).
Stack the Walmart+ Discount
At nearly $4 a gallon, the 10-cent Walmart+ fuel discount is worth about $1.50 on a 15-gallon fill-up, on top of the 46-cent gap to the national average.
Methodology: Daily station-level prices from the martgasprice.com price feed for 1,545 Walmart Supercenter and Neighborhood Market fuel stations (Walmart-branded and co-located Murphy USA). National and state figures are simple averages of all stations reporting that day. No readings were collected on September 18, and the Murphy USA feed was missing for September 2–4, so those days are excluded from the daily figures. Three stations reporting a $9.999 placeholder price were excluded. External benchmarks are from AAA's weekly gas price reports and the EIA's Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update (September 28, 2026).
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