An energy company spokesman says it might have to do there being
less non-local traffic in Hollister than places like Gilroy and
Salinas.
HOLLISTER
As if gas prices aren’t painful enough, Hollister residents pay more, sometimes much more, than those in nearby communities. A check of average prices in nearby towns reveals that Hollister has higher gas prices than any nearby city.
The least expensive gas in Hollister as of today was at either Quick Stop locations or at Jessie’s Gas – at $3.85 a gallon. That might feel like a bargain until you consider that the best deal in Hollister is 3 cents more per gallon than the average price of fuel in Gilroy.
Overall, gas averages $3.90 at the 10 least expensive stations in the Hollister area. In Gilroy, the average comes in at $3.84 for the same fuel at the same stations. And the sticker shock of local prices is even greater when you compare this area to a town like Salinas.
Gas stations there charge an average of $3.71, with the least expensive station selling fuel at $3.58.
“The oil company sets the prices according to the income of people in the area,” said Ziam Faquiryan, manager of the 76 Station in Hollister. “People have a lower income in Salinas, so they pay less for gas.”
As far as the Gilroy comparison, he said other factors might be involved.
“We are a little farther out, so there are some freight charges, and maybe the companies charge a little more because they know people are stuck out here.”
Bill Day, director of media relations for Valero Energy, said it might relate to lacking non-local traffic here when compared with those neighboring cities.
“High-volume stations are cheaper,” he asserted, while noting that he was at the corporate headquarters in Texas and was unfamiliar with Hollister. “If your town is in an area that doesn’t get a lot of non-locals driving through and fueling up, that would account for higher prices set by companies such as ours.”
San Juan Bautista is unique in that the small town has no operating gas stations, so residents there have several choices when deciding where to fill up.
“Personally, I go to Gilroy because gas is so much cheaper at the Garlic Circle there,” said Caroline Gargiulo, president of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce. “Unfortunately, when tourists arrive here on empty, as they often do, we have to direct them to Hollister because it’s closer. You aren’t thinking about the price, you just want the closest station, and then they get the most expensive gas around.”
Average gas prices today:
Hollister: $3.90
Gilroy/Morgan Hill: $3.83
Salinas: $3.71
Los Banos: $3.89
Watsonville: $3.86
San Jose: $3.76
Paso Robles: $3.85
