Value of $50 from 1833 to 2013
$50 in 1833 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $1,386.65 in 2013, an increase of $1,336.65 over 180 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 1.86% per year between 1833 and 2013, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,673.30%.
This means that prices in 2013 are 27.73 times as high as average prices since 1833, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1833 was -2.33%. The inflation rate in 2013 was 1.46%. The 2013 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.59% per year between 2013 and 2023.
Contents
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 2,673.30% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.86% |
| Converted amount ($50 base) | $1,386.65 |
| Price difference ($50 base) | $1,336.65 |
| CPI in 1833 | 8.400 |
| CPI in 2013 | 232.957 |
| Inflation in 1833 | -2.33% |
| Inflation in 2013 | 1.46% |
| $50 in 1833 | $1,386.65 in 2013 |
Buying power of $50 in 1833
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $50 in 1833 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $50, you would need to end with $1,386.65 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $50 is equivalent to $1,386.65 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1833 dollars, the chart below shows how $50 is worth less over 180 years.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1833 amounts in 2013 dollars, based on the 2,673.30% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1833 | $27.73 dollars in 2013 |
| $5 dollars in 1833 | $138.66 dollars in 2013 |
| $10 dollars in 1833 | $277.33 dollars in 2013 |
| $50 dollars in 1833 | $1,386.65 dollars in 2013 |
| $100 dollars in 1833 | $2,773.30 dollars in 2013 |
| $500 dollars in 1833 | $13,866.49 dollars in 2013 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1833 | $27,732.98 dollars in 2013 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1833 | $138,664.88 dollars in 2013 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1833 | $277,329.76 dollars in 2013 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1833 | $1,386,648.81 dollars in 2013 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1833 | $2,773,297.62 dollars in 2013 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1833 | $13,866,488.10 dollars in 2013 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1833 | $27,732,976.19 dollars in 2013 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £50.00 in 1833 would be equivalent to £5,193.16 in 2013, an absolute change of £5,143.16 and a cumulative change of 10,286.32%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $1,336.65 and total percent change of 2,673.30%.
Inflation by Spending Category
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes.
This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1833 and 2013.
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.86% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $50 in 1833 → 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 4.25 | 178,133.70 | 89,116.85 |
| Housing | 4.44 | 249,902.22 | 125,001.11 |
| Apparel | 2.17 | 4,660.35 | 2,380.18 |
| Transportation | 3.56 | 54,175.33 | 27,137.66 |
| Medical care | 4.90 | 547,282.73 | 273,691.36 |
| Recreation | 1.20 | 763.35 | 431.67 |
| Education and communication | 2.35 | 6,390.72 | 3,245.36 |
| Other goods and services | 5.44 | 1,385,399.64 | 692,749.82 |
The graph below compares inflation in categories of goods over time. Click on a category such as "Food" to toggle it on or off:
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1833. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $50, 1833 to 2013
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1833 and 2013:
CPI in 2013 CPI in 1833
×
1833 USD value
=
2013 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 8.4 in the year 1833 and 232.957 in 2013:
232.9578.4
×
$50
=
$1,386.65
$50 in 1833 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $1,386.65 in 2013.
To get the total inflation rate for the 180 years between 1833 and 2013, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2013 - CPI in 1833CPI in 1833
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (180 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
232.957 - 8.48.4
×
100
=
2,673%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Inflation data from 1634 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the American Antiquarian Society.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “$50 in 1833 → 2013 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 24 Mar. 2023, https://www.officialdata.org/1833-dollars-in-2013?amount=50.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.
| Cumulative price change | 2,673.30% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.86% |
| Converted amount ($50 base) | $1,386.65 |
| Price difference ($50 base) | $1,336.65 |
| CPI in 1833 | 8.400 |
| CPI in 2013 | 232.957 |
| Inflation in 1833 | -2.33% |
| Inflation in 2013 | 1.46% |
| $50 in 1833 | $1,386.65 in 2013 |