Nearly 50-cent gap in gas prices within an hour's drive from Boonville, Lowville and North Country; AAA official says its lack of competition

Remember last summer when we showcased the fact that North Country folks were paying at-least 50-cents more per-gallon of gas locally compared to our neighbors within an hour's drive?

Thankfully, prices today aren't quite as high as they were then, but still it's an issue for many families struggling to make ends meet. As of this report, that price gap still exists.

For example, if you put this difference to use and fill up 20-gallons for $3.60, you're looking at $72. But if you take that same formula and apply it to $3.15 per-gallon, you're saving nearly $10 each visit.

According to GasBuddy, prices range as low (as of this report) as $3.15 in Syracuse, NY and as low as $3.17 in Watertown, NY. 

We could not find the lowest gas prices today from GasBuddy for Boonville and Lowville areas, but we do know that people in Boonville have been paying roughly $3.65 this week and a little less in Lowville. 

In Old Forge, NY, GasBuddy reported gas prices at $3.69. 

When AAA Northeast Regional Director of Public and Government Affairs Patti Artessa joined North Country News last summer, one of the main reason she provided explaining this price gap involved a lack of competition. 

Today, a follow up interview has yielded the same answer. "They can pretty much set their own price of what they want because the competition is not there," she told us.

"Where as in Syracuse, Rochester, or even Buffalo and downstate they have more competition and more variety of gas stations that they can compete with one another and set their prices lower."

Listen to our latest on-air coverage here:

As of Saturday morning, the national average gallon of gas was $3.29, while New York's average was $3.43.  

Image via the AAA.