Shelter priced at $2,500 in 1955 $34,956.83 in 2019

Shelter Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Shelter, 1955-2019 ($2,500)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for shelter were 1,298.27% higher in 2019 versus 1955 (a $32,456.83 difference in value).

Between 1955 and 2019: Shelter experienced an average inflation rate of 4.21% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, shelter costing $2,500 in the year 1955 would cost $34,956.83 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.59% during this same period, inflation for shelter was higher.

In the year 1955: Pricing changed by 1.16%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for shelter during the 1955-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.29%), inflation for shelter was higher.

Price Inflation for Shelter since 1952

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.55%), 1979 (13.90%), and 1981 (11.72%).

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Buying power of $2,500.00 since 1955

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Shelter, over time, for $2,500 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1955$2,500.001.16%
1956$2,541.431.66%
1957$2,633.583.63%
1958$2,689.382.12%
1959$2,718.131.07%
1960$2,773.082.02%
1961$2,796.750.85%
1962$2,828.041.12%
1963$2,865.241.32%
1964$2,912.581.65%
1965$2,966.691.86%
1966$3,055.462.99%
1967$3,161.993.49%
1968$3,311.634.73%
1969$3,580.498.12%
1970$3,905.999.09%
1971$4,069.164.18%
1972$4,250.934.47%
1973$4,448.774.65%
1974$4,880.799.71%
1975$5,362.709.87%
1976$5,657.765.50%
1977$6,039.066.74%
1978$6,648.6310.09%
1979$7,572.7113.90%
1980$8,901.7617.55%
1981$9,945.0511.72%
1982$10,649.317.08%
1983$10,895.332.31%
1984$11,429.664.90%
1985$12,069.675.60%
1986$12,729.965.47%
1987$13,326.014.68%
1988$13,967.704.82%
1989$14,599.264.52%
1990$15,385.535.39%
1991$16,077.114.49%
1992$16,617.353.36%
1993$17,116.173.00%
1994$17,642.883.08%
1995$18,210.183.22%
1996$18,797.773.23%
1997$19,374.373.07%
1998$20,015.223.31%
1999$20,581.672.83%
2000$21,251.273.25%
2001$22,043.463.73%
2002$22,871.153.75%
2003$23,423.232.41%
2004$24,052.252.69%
2005$24,666.052.55%
2006$25,513.193.43%
2007$26,445.203.65%
2008$27,110.782.52%
2009$27,406.201.09%
2010$27,300.90-0.38%
2011$27,658.061.31%
2012$28,255.712.16%
2013$28,912.122.32%
2014$29,731.732.83%
2015$30,642.843.06%
2016$31,678.983.38%
2017$32,731.163.32%
2018$33,814.813.31%
2019$34,956.833.38%
2020$35,817.652.46%
2021$36,772.662.67%
2022$38,933.545.88%
2023$41,835.947.45%
2024$43,183.233.22%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Shelter:

Year1952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI21.60022.00022.48522.74623.12323.96224.46924.73125.23125.44625.73126.06926.50026.99227.80028.76930.13132.57735.53837.02338.67740.47744.40848.79251.47754.94660.49268.90080.99290.48596.89299.131103.992109.815115.823121.246127.085132.831139.985146.277151.192155.731160.523165.685171.031176.277182.108187.262193.354200.562208.092213.115218.838224.423232.131240.611246.666249.354248.396251.646257.083263.056270.513278.803288.230297.803307.663318.053325.886334.575354.235380.643392.901

Adjust shelter prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2019 / CPI in 1955 * 1955 USD value = 2019 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Shelter was 22.746 in the year 1955 and 318.053 in 2019:

318.053 / 22.746 * $2,500 = $34,956.83

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $2,500 in 1955 has the same "purchasing power" as $34,956.83 in 2019 (in the CPI category of Shelter).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Shelter in 1952. In addition to shelter, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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