Why Are Newburyport Gas Prices Higher Than Other Communities?

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by

Christine Flammia

The Townie is an opinion website. The views expressed in this piece belong solely to the author, do not represent those held by The Townie, and should not be interpreted as objective or reported fact.

To put it plainly, gas prices in Newburyport in comparison to surrounding towns are outrageous. As I write this today, Newburyport Shell is $4.79/ gallon while Amesbury Irving is $3.53/gallon, an almost $1 difference. A few miles and a town line should not warrant that high of a spread between gas prices. It may not seem like a lot, but $1/gallon adds up extremely quick, especially in today’s economy where everything else is rising in cost as well.

The current world is all about convenience, and having to drive to another town to save money at the pump is extremely inconvenient, wastes time, resources, and quite frankly, is a slap in the face to Newburyport residents. It also drives business out of Newburyport. Not just in the sense of gas purchases, but convenience store purchases as well. And who knows, while you’re out of town, you might grab dinner out of town too. In short, higher gas prices in Newburyport are bad for us, the consumer, and local businesses.

This issue is one of many in the rising cost of affordability in Newburyport. You can’t get into a single-family home for under $800,000 asking price (not including the outrageous current interest rates) or into an apartment for under $1,800 / month for a one-bedroom apartment. People need a social life away from home or work. If you are lucky enough to afford to live in Newburyport, a lot of people are just getting by paying for their mortgage, rent, car, insurance payments, groceries and other bills, resulting in not being able to afford a social life. Newburyport has so many great restaurants, shops, etc. for people to enjoy, but if no one can afford to live there and no one can afford to drive there, then Newburyport will suffer. Eventually, over time, Newburyport’s thriving economy and community will diminish.

I’m writing this article not as a Newburyport resident (though I’d LOVE to be someday), but as someone who frequently visits. It is one of my favorite towns to go out to eat, stroll the waterfront, and check out the shops. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to afford to continue contributing to the Newburyport economy, especially when I can go out to eat or visit shops much cheaper in downtown Amesbury or Haverhill, and closer to my home. I have been actively avoiding filling up my gas tank in Newburyport as well due to the outrageous prices, even when it would be more convenient for me to do so.

Currently in Massachusetts, there are no regulations on the prices at the pump. I understand every gas station is privately owned and they set their own prices, but something needs to be done about the unjust price gauging. Whether that may be urging legislators to pass price-capping laws, boycotting Newburyport gas stations, or something else, I hope to see the change come soon before Newburyport as a whole suffers.

Christine Flammia

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Comments

11 responses to “Why Are Newburyport Gas Prices Higher Than Other Communities?”

  1. James Higgins Avatar
    James Higgins

    You live out of town. You don’t like gas prices in Newburyport, where you like to shop, dine and walk the dock. Buy your gas BEFORE going to NBPT!
    (It’s not even hot yet people, keep it together!)

    Reply
  2. Anonymom Avatar
    Anonymom

    Gas prices are higher in Newburyport because people are willing to pay it. Home prices are what they are because people here have the means to afford it.

    For all the griping some residents and outsiders do about affordability in Newburyport, and the resulting lack of diversity or lower-income folks around to staff our businesses, the reality is that this place has become a high-income, premium magnet community – and the people who pay the prices to live here don’t want it any other way (regardless of how they vote or what they say out loud).

    I’m self aware enough to at least admit that I, too, pay the premium because I frankly like the clean streets, my safe neighborhood where my kids can roam free like in years gone by, our overall desirable schools (even with a few warts here and there), the lovely picturesque downtown that friends and family elsewhere in the country marvel at, the strong relationships that are built living in a tight community like this. Communities like Newburyport (and most other lovely destinations) exist because… money! And yes, good people who care (but who also often have the money to have the time to care). So Shell is going to go ahead and charge $5 a gallon because they know the truth: the G-Class moms care a lot about pilates, but less so about the price of gas.

    Welcome to town, gas up in Amesbury before you get here, and enjoy the view and the community.

    Reply
    1. Christine Avatar
      Christine

      I think the fact that you’ll openly admit to being classist, but do it anonymously, is pretty cowardly. You’re exactly the reason Newburyport will price itself out of home owners and tourism.

      Reply
      1. Anon Avatar
        Anon

        The fact that you don’t live here and complain about the high gas and housing prices is absurd. That is like me complaining that the cost of gas in Hawaii is too high. For the record, I am not “lucky” to live here. I worked hard and chose to live here. Please stay in Haverhill or Amesbury. They will be lucky to have your business.

        Reply
        1. John Doe Avatar
          John Doe

          This is essentially the mentality that leads to xenophobia and apartheid like society. I’m someone who grew up in Newburyport and cannot afford to live in my hometown. I know many people I grew up with who are in the same boat. If NBPT continues focusing on only catering to the wealthy and not taking into consideration the issues of affordability in the city your children may end up in the same boat of not be able to afford the rising prices in their hometown. My parents bought their first house in Newburyport for $60k in on water street in the 80s, it’s now worth over $900k. My parents were among the people who invested in NBPT when it was rough around the edges and now they are people who cannot afford to live there anymore and their children cannot afford to live there any more. Affordability is a legitimate danger to Newburyport and the people who made it what it is today. It is people like you, who think that pricing out the people you deem undesirable is good, that are the tangible threat to the community. You clearly can’t buy good morals with money.

          Reply
          1. Anon Avatar
            Anon

            Strange how you compare Newburyport to North Korea and South Africa. Odd choices. My parents bought their first home here in the 1960’s, before all of the hard work was done that we all enjoy. I’m happy your parent’s home appreciated and hopefully they have seen the benefits. That said, growing up here or any other town, doesn’t give you automatic property ownership through birthright. We do have a low income housing crisis. We also have no space for neighborhood development. I don’t have the solution. I would love to hear ideas, not complaints.

      2. Anonymom Avatar
        Anonymom

        Do you also wonder why costs are high in Nantucket? Martha’s Vineyard? Newport? My point was that it’s pretty obvious why Newburyport is expensive – it’s evolved into a highly desirable luxury coastal community that attracts people with money and resolve to keep it that way. To dial down and become a more affordable place would likely require folks who live here to start trading off those high-end perks they bought into (or helped build in their lifetime as residents here) in the first place. Not likely. And yes, I am self aware enough to admit that I, too, uphold the system by paying to live here because I also love everything this place has to offer. Perhaps that does come off as classist, but at least I’m honest about my part in it all.

        That said, I’m well aware of the issues created by wealth concentration. My parents rent through Section 8 here in town, which I had to fight tooth and nail to help them get. I grew up in true poverty and while I can now afford Newburyport, I’m quite familiar with living on both sides of life. The unfortunate reality is that access to homes and leisure in luxury communities is, by its nature, not inclusive. Maybe the bubble will burst someday, but until then, we’ll all be paying more for gas and homes here exactly because Newburyport is not like other places. Still enjoy what you can, when you can.

        Reply
    2. Markus Avatar
      Markus

      Very well said. Cheers.

      Reply
  3. William Heckenkamp Avatar
    William Heckenkamp

    I live in Newburyport. Last summer I drove to Michigan to visit family. I drove through MA, NY, PA,OH and MI. Gas prices you ask? Most expensive? Newburyport. Least expensive? Seabrook, NH. $1.45 less than NBPT.

    Reply
  4. John Stephen Kelley Avatar
    John Stephen Kelley

    I like to promote gas buddy. It’s a great way to crowd source gas prices.

    I know my gas isn’t the cheapest. To be honest, I could never compete with the likes of old monster gas. The volatility of gas prices hasn’t been fun for anyone, especially when ya buy 11,000 gallons of it at a time. I have to hope people want to support the local family full service gas station that’s been there since the 50s. I have to hope people are willing to sometimes put in way too much effort, basically do car gymnastics, just to get in for us to pump their gas. I hope they see Wayne and the kids working and want to come in because they’re amazing to be around. Being a local business, gas or not, requires community. I can only hope I’m doing it right in my little corner of the world. Casual shout out to our amazing friends, customers, community, family, and last but not least…Global for supplying our gas.

    Reply
    1. Anon Avatar
      Anon

      My family has been buying gas from your family since you opened. Keep up the good work! Love to use local small businesses. I hope others do as well.

      Reply

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