 |
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|
|
|
| 1800 | 51 | $1.961 | -- | |
| 1801 | 50 | $2.000 | -2.1% | |
| 1802 | 43 | $2.326 | -14.1% | |
| 1803 | 45 | $2.222 | 5.0% | Louisiana Purchase; Ohio admitted to Union |
| 1804 | 45 | $2.222 | 0.0% | |
| 1805 | 45 | $2.222 | 0.0% | |
| 1806 | 47 | $2.128 | 4.2% | |
| 1807 | 44 | $2.273 | -6.3% | |
| 1808 | 48 | $2.083 | 9.2% | |
| 1809 | 47 | $2.128 | -2.2% | |
| 1810 | 47 | $2.128 | 0.0% | |
| 1811 | 50 | $2.000 | 6.3% | |
| 1812 | 51 | $1.961 | 2.2% | War of 1812; Louisiana admitted to Union |
| 1813 | 58 | $1.724 | 13.8% | |
| 1814 | 63 | $1.587 | 8.4% | |
| 1815 | 55 | $1.818 | -12.4% | Napoleon defeated |
| 1816 | 51 | $1.961 | -7.4% | Indiana admitted to Union |
| 1817 | 48 | $2.083 | -5.8% | Mississippi admitted to Union |
| 1818 | 46 | $2.174 | -4.5% | Illinois admitted to Union |
| 1819 | 46 | $2.174 | 0.0% | Alabama admitted to Union |
| 1820 | 42 | $2.381 | -8.2% | Maine admitted to Union |
| 1821 | 40 | $2.500 | -5.1% | Missouri admitted to Union |
| 1822 | 40 | $2.500 | 0.0% | |
| 1823 | 36 | $2.778 | -10.1% | |
| 1824 | 33 | $3.030 | -8.3% | |
| 1825 | 34 | $2.941 | 3.3% | |
| 1826 | 34 | $2.941 | 0.0% | |
| 1827 | 34 | $2.941 | 0.0% | first railroad in U.S. |
| 1828 | 33 | $3.030 | -3.2% | |
| 1829 | 32 | $3.125 | -2.5% | |
| 1830 | 32 | $3.125 | 0.0% | |
| 1831 | 32 | $3.125 | 0.0% | |
| 1832 | 30 | $3.333 | -6.7% | |
| 1833 | 29 | $3.448 | -3.6% | |
| 1834 | 30 | $3.333 | 3.7% | |
| 1835 | 31 | $3.226 | 3.6% | |
| 1836 | 33 | $3.030 | 6.1% | Colt's revolver; Arkansas admitted to Union |
| 1837 | 34 | $2.941 | 3.3% | Michigan admitted to Union |
| 1838 | 32 | $3.125 | -5.6% | |
| 1839 | 32 | $3.125 | 0.0% | |
| 1840 | 30 | $3.333 | -6.7% | |
| 1841 | 31 | $3.226 | 3.6% | |
| 1842 | 29 | $3.448 | -7.0% | |
| 1843 | 28 | $3.571 | -2.8% | |
| 1844 | 28 | $3.571 | 0.0% | |
| 1845 | 28 | $3.571 | 0.0% | Florida & Texas admitted to Union |
| 1846 | 27 | $3.704 | -3.8% | Iowa admitted to Union |
| 1847 | 28 | $3.571 | 4.0% | |
| 1848 | 26 | $3.846 | -7.7% | Wisconsin admitted to Union |
| 1849 | 25 | $4.000 | -3.1% | California gold rush |
| 1850 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | end "little ice age" (~1350-1850) warm trend; California admitted to Union |
| 1851 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1852 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1853 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1854 | 27 | $3.704 | 7.5% | |
| 1855 | 28 | $3.571 | 4.0% | |
| 1856 | 27 | $3.704 | -3.8% | |
| 1857 | 28 | $3.571 | 4.0% | |
| 1858 | 26 | $3.846 | -7.7% | Minnesota admitted to Union |
| 1859 | 27 | $3.704 | 4.2% | Colorado gold rush; Oregon admitted to Union |
| 1860 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1861 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | Civil War; Kansas admitted to Union |
| 1862 | 30 | $3.333 | 11.0% | |
| 1863 | 37 | $2.703 | 23.4% | West Virginia admitted to Union |
| 1864 | 47 | $2.128 | 27.0% | Nevada admitted to Union |
| 1865 | 46 | $2.174 | -2.3% | end Civil War |
| 1866 | 44 | $2.273 | -4.1% | |
| 1867 | 42 | $2.381 | -4.3% | Nebraska admitted to Union; Midway Islands Territory |
| 1868 | 40 | $2.500 | -5.1% | |
| 1869 | 40 | $2.500 | 0.0% | Transcontinental Railroad completed |
| 1870 | 38 | $2.632 | -4.7% | Suez Canal completed |
| 1871 | 36 | $2.778 | -5.7% | |
| 1872 | 36 | $2.778 | 0.0% | |
| 1873 | 36 | $2.778 | 0.0% | "Long Depression" ~1873 -- ~1897 |
| 1874 | 34 | $2.941 | -5.3% | |
| 1875 | 33 | $3.030 | -3.2% | |
| 1876 | 32 | $3.125 | -2.5% | A.G. Bell - telephone; Colorado admitted to Union |
| 1877 | 32 | $3.125 | 0.0% | |
| 1878 | 29 | $3.448 | -10.1% | |
| 1879 | 28 | $3.571 | -2.8% | |
| 1880 | 29 | $3.448 | 2.9% | |
| 1881 | 29 | $3.448 | 0.0% | |
| 1882 | 29 | $3.448 | 0.0% | |
| 1883 | 28 | $3.571 | -2.8% | |
| 1884 | 27 | $3.704 | -3.8% | |
| 1885 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1886 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | gasoline automobiles in Europe |
| 1887 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1888 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1889 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana & Washington admitted to Union |
| 1890 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | Idaho & Wyoming admitted to Union |
| 1891 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1892 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1893 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1894 | 26 | $3.846 | -4.0% | |
| 1895 | 25 | $4.000 | -3.1% | Marconi -- telegraph |
| 1896 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | Klondike gold rush; penicillin; Utah admitted to Union |
| 1897 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1898 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | end Spanish-American War; Puerto Rico Territory |
| 1899 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | American Samoa Territory |
| 1900 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1901 | 25 | $4.000 | 0.0% | |
| 1902 | 26 | $3.846 | 3.2% | Oldsmobile production line |
| 1903 | 27 | $3.704 | 4.2% | |
| 1904 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1905 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1906 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1907 | 28 | $3.571 | 4.0% | Oklahoma admitted to Union |
| 1908 | 27 | $3.704 | -3.8% | |
| 1909 | 27 | $3.704 | 0.0% | |
| 1910 | 28 | $3.571 | 4.0% | Ford production line |
| 1911 | 28 | $3.571 | 0.0% | |
| 1912 | 29 | $3.448 | 2.9% | New Mexico & Arizona admitted to Union |
| 1913 | 29.7 | $3.367 | 2.8% | ** Federal Reserve Act |
| 1914 | 30.1 | $3.322 | 0.9% | WW-I begins |
| 1915 | 30.4 | $3.289 | 1.8% | |
| 1916 | 32.7 | $3.058 | 7.1% | |
| 1917 | 38.4 | $2.604 | 17.4% | U.S. enters WW-I |
| 1918 | 45.1 | $2.217 | 17.6% | end WW-I; influenza epidemic |
| 1919 | 51.8 | $1.931 | 15.0% | influenza epidemic -- ( epidemic list) |
| 1920 | 60 | $1.667 | 15.6% | recession |
| 1921 | 53.6 | $1.866 | -10.4% | |
| 1922 | 50.2 | $1.992 | -6.5% | |
| 1923 | 51.1 | $1.957 | 1.6% | |
| 1924 | 51.2 | $1.953 | 0.5% | |
| 1925 | 52.5 | $1.905 | 2.1% | |
| 1926 | 53 | $1.887 | 1.0% | |
| 1927 | 52 | $1.923 | -1.5% | Virgin Islands Territory |
| 1928 | 51.3 | $1.949 | -1.6% | |
| 1929 | 51.3 | $1.949 | 0.0% | Great Depression -- through 1930's |
| 1930 | 50 | $2.000 | -2.6% | |
| 1931 | 45.6 | $2.193 | -8.6% | |
| 1932 | 40.9 | $2.445 | -10.7% | New Deal |
| 1933 | 38.8 | $2.577 | -4.6% | Third Reich |
| 1934 | 40.1 | $2.494 | 3.5% | |
| 1935 | 41.1 | $2.433 | 2.0% | |
| 1936 | 41.5 | $2.410 | 1.3% | |
| 1937 | 43 | $2.326 | 3.2% | recession |
| 1938 | 42.2 | $2.370 | -1.9% | |
| 1939 | 41.6 | $2.404 | -1.3% | invasion of Poland - WW-II |
| 1940 | 42 | $2.381 | 1.3% | |
| 1941 | 44.1 | $2.268 | 4.5% | Pearl Harbor - U.S. in WW-II |
| 1942 | 48.8 | $2.049 | 11.0% | baby boom (~1940 - 1957) |
| 1943 | 51.8 | $1.931 | 6.1% | |
| 1944 | 52.7 | $1.898 | 1.6% | |
| 1945 | 53.9 | $1.855 | 2.6% | end WW-II |
| 1946 | 58.5 | $1.709 | 8.5% | ENIAC -- computer |
| 1947 | 66.9 | $1.495 | 14.3% | Micronesia, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands & Palua Territories |
| 1948 | 72.1 | $1.387 | 7.7% | |
| 1949 | 71.4 | $1.401 | -1.1% | |
| 1950 | 72.1 | $1.387 | 1.1% | Korean War; Guam Territory |
| 1951 | 77.8 | $1.285 | 7.9% | |
| 1952 | 79.5 | $1.258 | 2.1% | |
| 1953 | 80.1 | $1.248 | 1.0% | end Korean War |
| 1954 | 80.5 | $1.242 | 0.3% | |
| 1955 | 80.2 | $1.247 | -0.3% | |
| 1956 | 81.4 | $1.229 | 1.3% | |
| 1957 | 84.3 | $1.186 | 3.7% | baby boom peak |
| 1958 | 86.6 | $1.155 | 2.9% | U.S. space program begins |
| 1959 | 87.3 | $1.145 | 0.6% | Integrated Circuit; Vietnam war; Alaska & Hawaii admitted to Union |
| 1960 | 88.7 | $1.127 | 1.9% | |
| 1961 | 89.6 | $1.116 | 0.9% | |
| 1962 | 90.6 | $1.104 | 1.2% | |
| 1963 | 91.7 | $1.091 | 1.2% | |
| 1964 | 92.9 | $1.076 | 1.2% | |
| 1965 | 94.5 | $1.058 | 1.7% | |
| 1966 | 97.2 | $1.029 | 2.9% | |
| 1967 | 100 | $1.000 | 2.8% | |
| 1968 | 104.2 | $0.960 | 4.3% | |
| 1969 | 109.8 | $0.911 | 5.4% | |
| 1970 | 116.3 | $0.860 | 5.9% | |
| 1971 | 121.3 | $0.824 | 4.2% | |
| 1972 | 125.3 | $0.798 | 3.3% | |
| 1973 | 133.1 | $0.751 | 6.3% | Arab oil embargo |
| 1974 | 147.7 | $0.677 | 11.0% | |
| 1975 | 161.2 | $0.620 | 9.1% | personal computer; end Vietnam war |
| 1976 | 170.5 | $0.587 | 5.7% | |
| 1977 | 181.5 | $0.551 | 6.5% | |
| 1978 | 195.4 | $0.512 | 7.7% | |
| 1979 | 217.4 | $0.460 | 11.2% | oil crisis -- Iranian revolution |
| 1980 | 246.8 | $0.405 | 13.5% | |
| 1981 | 272.4 | $0.367 | 10.4% | |
| 1982 | 289.1 | $0.346 | 6.1% | |
| 1983 | 298.4 | $0.335 | 3.2% | |
| 1984 | 311.1 | $0.321 | 4.3% | |
| 1985 | 322.2 | $0.310 | 3.6% | |
| 1986 | 328.4 | $0.305 | 1.9% | |
| 1987 | 340.4 | $0.294 | 3.7% | |
| 1988 | 354.3 | $0.282 | 4.0% | |
| 1989 | 371.3 | $0.269 | 4.8% | Berlin Wall falls |
| 1990 | 391.4 | $0.255 | 5.5% | |
| 1991 | 408 | $0.245 | 4.2% | USSR dissolved; Persian Gulf War |
| 1992 | 420.3 | $0.238 | 3.0% | |
| 1993 | 432.7 | $0.231 | 3.0% | |
| 1994 | 444 | $0.225 | 2.6% | |
| 1995 | 456.5 | $0.219 | 2.9% | |
| 1996 | 469.9 | $0.213 | 2.9% | |
| 1997 | 480.8 | $0.208 | 2.4% | |
| 1998 | 488.3 | $0.205 | 1.6% | |
| 1999 | 499.1 | $0.200 | 2.2% | |
| 2000 | 515.8 | $0.194 | 3.3% | |
| 2001 | 530.1 | $0.189 | 2.8% | Islamic attack on U.S. (9-11) [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] |
| 2002 | 538.8 | $0.186 | 1.7% | (Oct. 2001) Invasion of Afghanistan |
| 2003 | 551.1 | $0.181 | 2.3% | Invasion of Iraq |
| 2004 | 565.8 | $0.177 | 2.7% | oil price increases |
| 2005 | 585.1 | $0.171 | 3.3% | |
| 2006 | 603.9 | $0.166 | 3.1% | |
| 2007 | 621.1 | $0.161 | 2.9% | |
| 2008 | 645 | $0.155 | 3.9% | |
| 2009 | 642.7 | $0.156 | -0.4% | |
| 2010* | 651.7 | $0.153 | 1.4% |
Historical Value of U.S. Dollar (Estimated)
This page is dedicated to historians and genealogists – to help them get an idea of the relative value of items and services referenced in notes, letters, diaries, wills, probate papers, deeds, newspaper articles, etc. It is not possible to be accurate as the type of currency used varied from the Spanish dollar and British pound to wampum and notes issued by private and state banks. There is no agreement as to the worth of the currency or to the value of the goods and services it purchased, so this is a best guess estimate. (See:"Just a bunch of beads: Wampum & Currency in the U.S." or pdf version
Select a "Reference" year below – that year will become the $1.00 reference year in the chart on the right (default is 1967).
see Graph
of inflation rates
Some things to keep in mind:
- The values in the chart from 1800 to 1912 are based on an old survey called Prices Paid by Farmers to approximate inflation. They are extremely approximate.
- There is no way to truly compare values or costs over the centuries. In our nation's early history, bartering was commonplace and often supplemented or replaced currency. The unit of exchange could be livestock, a fur pelt, or a bushel of grain. The currencies in use in our early history came from Britain, Spain and France, with each colony introducing its own currency. The official U.S. 'paper' dollar did not come into existence until 1861.
- Sources are listed at the bottom of this column.
Links:
Sources:
- Table 121. The Consumer Price Index, 1800-1972,(1) Selected Groups, and Purchasing Power of the Consumer Dollar, 1913-72 – (1967=100)
- Handbook of Labor Statistics – 1973 - (1) Indexes from 1800-1912 estimated by splicing the following series: 1800-1851 – Index of Prices Paid by Vermont Farmers for Family Living;
1851-1890 – Consumer Price Index by Ethel D. Hoover;
1890-1912 – Cost of Living Index by Albert Rees.
- Handbook of Labor Statistics – 1973 - Handbook of Labor Statistics – 1973; U.S. Dept of Labor; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Washington, DC 20212
- The Value of a Dollar; Prices & Incomes in United States; 1860-1999; Scott Derks, ed.; Grey House pub, Lakeville, CT (c) 1999; p. 2 – The Value of a Dollar, 1860 - 1997
- "The Value of a Dollar, 1860-1997; Composite Consumer Price Index; 1860=1
- For a full discussion, see John G. McCusker, "How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States," Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, 101, pt. 2 (1992), pp. 297-373. - Fed. Reserve Bank of Minneapolis – U.S. Economic Data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Consumer Price Index
- Oregon State Univ. – Prof. Robert Sahr's Inflation Conversion Factors page
- Shadow Government Statistics
- MyInflationRate.com