The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles area dropped for the fourth week in a row, falling 5.9 cents to $2.771 for the week ended Oct. 31.

L.A. prices are 36.9 cents higher than they were a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

Statewide, prices dipped 8 cents to $2.747 from $2.827 one week earlier, leaving them 37.8 cents higher than year-ago rates. California had the highest-priced gas in the nation for the fourth consecutive week.

Los Angeles out-priced San Francisco to become the most expensive city. San Francisco plunged 12.3 cents to $2.738.

Minnesota had the lowest-priced gas of the states surveyed, at $2.217 per gallon, and the city with cheapest gas was Cleveland, which shed 13.1 cents to $2.267 per gallon.