Food at home priced at $20 in 1948 $218.40 in 2024

Food At Home Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Food At Home, 1948-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food at home are 992.02% higher in 2024 versus 1948 (a $198.40 difference in value).

Between 1948 and 2024: Food at home experienced an average inflation rate of 3.20% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food at home costing $20 in the year 1948 would cost $218.40 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.43% during this same period, inflation for food at home was lower.

In the year 1948: Pricing changed by 8.37%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for food at home during the 1948-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1948 (7.72%), inflation for food at home was higher.

Price Inflation for Food at home since 1947

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1973 (16.30%), 1974 (14.85%), and 2022 (11.42%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1948

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food at home, over time, for $20 beginning in 1948. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1948$20.008.37%
1949$19.21-3.93%
1950$19.471.32%
1951$21.6511.21%
1952$22.041.83%
1953$21.63-1.87%
1954$21.52-0.53%
1955$21.08-2.04%
1956$21.200.57%
1957$21.883.24%
1958$22.844.37%
1959$22.29-2.41%
1960$22.490.91%
1961$22.690.85%
1962$22.850.70%
1963$23.131.25%
1964$23.411.19%
1965$23.942.28%
1966$25.175.14%
1967$25.08-0.35%
1968$25.903.24%
1969$27.164.88%
1970$28.525.00%
1971$29.212.43%
1972$30.514.44%
1973$35.4816.30%
1974$40.7514.85%
1975$44.118.25%
1976$45.042.12%
1977$47.715.93%
1978$52.7410.53%
1979$58.4410.81%
1980$63.128.00%
1981$67.737.30%
1982$70.063.45%
1983$70.801.06%
1984$73.423.70%
1985$74.481.44%
1986$76.612.86%
1987$79.924.32%
1988$83.254.17%
1989$88.726.57%
1990$94.516.53%
1991$97.032.66%
1992$97.730.72%
1993$100.042.37%
1994$102.922.87%
1995$106.253.24%
1996$110.213.73%
1997$112.962.49%
1998$115.091.89%
1999$117.291.91%
2000$119.922.24%
2001$123.843.27%
2002$125.441.30%
2003$128.142.15%
2004$132.993.79%
2005$135.551.93%
2006$137.941.76%
2007$143.754.21%
2008$152.956.40%
2009$153.660.47%
2010$154.170.33%
2011$161.574.80%
2012$165.552.46%
2013$167.050.90%
2014$171.042.39%
2015$173.041.17%
2016$170.76-1.31%
2017$170.42-0.20%
2018$171.190.45%
2019$172.700.88%
2020$178.743.50%
2021$184.923.46%
2022$206.0411.42%
2023$216.385.02%
2024$218.400.94%*

* 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 Food at home:

Year194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI25.83828.00026.90027.25430.30830.86230.28530.12329.50829.67730.63831.97731.20831.49231.76231.98532.38532.76933.51535.23835.11536.25438.02339.92340.89242.70849.66957.04661.75463.06266.80073.83181.81588.36294.81598.08599.123102.792104.269107.254111.885116.554124.208132.315135.838136.823140.062144.085148.754154.300158.138161.131164.208167.885173.369175.615179.392186.185189.777193.115201.245214.125215.124215.836226.201231.774233.869239.456242.250239.065238.589239.661241.775250.233258.892288.451302.929305.764

Adjust food at home prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1948 * 1948 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Food at home was 28.000 in the year 1948 and 305.764 in 2024:

305.764 / 28.000 * $20 = $218.40

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1948 has the same "purchasing power" as $218.40 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Food at home).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Food at home in 1947. In addition to food at home, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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