According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Houston, Texas are 2,000.98% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $980,479.63 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2025: Houston experienced an average inflation rate of 3.60% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $49,000 in Houston in the year 1939 would cost $1,029,479.63 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% during this same period, inflation in Houston was lower.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by -0.88%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Houston during the 1939-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.31%), inflation in Houston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Houston, over time, for $49,000 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | $49,000.00 | -0.88% |
| 1940 | $49,123.82 | 0.25% |
| 1941 | $51,259.63 | 4.35% |
| 1942 | $56,614.66 | 10.45% |
| 1943 | $59,617.18 | 5.30% |
| 1944 | $60,174.35 | 0.93% |
| 1945 | $61,443.46 | 2.11% |
| 1946 | $66,303.22 | 7.91% |
| 1947 | $77,941.88 | 17.55% |
| 1948 | $84,442.20 | 8.34% |
| 1949 | $84,194.57 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | $86,732.79 | 3.01% |
| 1951 | $93,666.46 | 7.99% |
| 1952 | $94,811.75 | 1.22% |
| 1953 | $95,802.27 | 1.04% |
| 1954 | $95,957.04 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $95,090.33 | -0.90% |
| 1956 | $96,545.17 | 1.53% |
| 1957 | $99,733.42 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $101,466.84 | 1.74% |
| 1959 | $102,178.77 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | $103,355.02 | 1.15% |
| 1961 | $103,726.47 | 0.36% |
| 1962 | $105,800.38 | 2.00% |
| 1963 | $106,698.04 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | $108,338.60 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $109,638.66 | 1.20% |
| 1966 | $112,548.33 | 2.65% |
| 1967 | $115,519.90 | 2.64% |
| 1968 | $120,162.98 | 4.02% |
| 1969 | $127,963.36 | 6.49% |
| 1970 | $134,742.26 | 5.30% |
| 1971 | $139,756.79 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | $144,585.60 | 3.46% |
| 1973 | $152,200.25 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $169,193.94 | 11.17% |
| 1975 | $189,809.22 | 12.18% |
| 1976 | $204,202.78 | 7.58% |
| 1977 | $218,967.78 | 7.23% |
| 1978 | $239,644.98 | 9.44% |
| 1979 | $271,465.57 | 13.28% |
| 1980 | $306,072.02 | 12.75% |
| 1981 | $336,685.41 | 10.00% |
| 1982 | $360,860.39 | 7.18% |
| 1983 | $371,137.08 | 2.85% |
| 1984 | $380,825.65 | 2.61% |
| 1985 | $389,368.92 | 2.24% |
| 1986 | $386,242.58 | -0.80% |
| 1987 | $394,878.71 | 2.24% |
| 1988 | $406,300.69 | 2.89% |
| 1989 | $423,139.61 | 4.14% |
| 1990 | $446,633.61 | 5.55% |
| 1991 | $464,184.46 | 3.93% |
| 1992 | $479,135.19 | 3.22% |
| 1993 | $494,581.17 | 3.22% |
| 1994 | $511,884.40 | 3.50% |
| 1995 | $518,941.88 | 1.38% |
| 1996 | $529,713.83 | 2.08% |
| 1997 | $539,711.94 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | $545,128.87 | 1.00% |
| 1999 | $551,907.77 | 1.24% |
| 2000 | $571,873.03 | 3.62% |
| 2001 | $589,578.65 | 3.10% |
| 2002 | $591,126.34 | 0.26% |
| 2003 | $607,408.09 | 2.75% |
| 2004 | $628,642.45 | 3.50% |
| 2005 | $651,331.65 | 3.61% |
| 2006 | $670,646.87 | 2.97% |
| 2007 | $681,772.32 | 1.66% |
| 2008 | $705,685.43 | 3.51% |
| 2009 | $706,815.87 | 0.16% |
| 2010 | $720,697.76 | 1.96% |
| 2011 | $743,808.24 | 3.21% |
| 2012 | $758,235.84 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | $769,892.77 | 1.54% |
| 2014 | $792,175.85 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | $791,423.67 | -0.09% |
| 2016 | $803,223.60 | 1.49% |
| 2017 | $819,565.39 | 2.03% |
| 2018 | $839,258.57 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | $849,687.86 | 1.24% |
| 2020 | $850,533.21 | 0.10% |
| 2021 | $886,067.03 | 4.18% |
| 2022 | $959,354.07 | 8.27% |
| 2023 | $993,472.06 | 3.56% |
| 2024 | $1,018,388.08 | 2.51% |
| 2025 | $1,029,479.63 | 1.09%* |
* 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 Houston, Texas:
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CPI | 9.500 | 9.500 | 9.617 | 11.092 | 13.425 | 16.367 | 19.133 | 17.450 | 15.908 | 15.892 | 15.842 | 16.083 | 16.167 | 15.833 | 15.633 | 15.617 | 15.508 | 14.142 | 12.708 | 11.683 | 12.225 | 12.692 | 12.833 | 13.317 | 13.308 | 13.192 | 13.225 | 13.800 | 15.242 | 16.050 | 16.200 | 16.542 | 17.850 | 20.983 | 22.733 | 22.667 | 23.350 | 25.217 | 25.525 | 25.792 | 25.833 | 25.600 | 25.992 | 26.850 | 27.317 | 27.508 | 27.825 | 27.925 | 28.483 | 28.725 | 29.167 | 29.517 | 30.300 | 31.100 | 32.350 | 34.450 | 36.275 | 37.625 | 38.925 | 40.975 | 45.550 | 51.100 | 54.975 | 58.950 | 64.517 | 73.083 | 82.400 | 90.642 | 97.150 | 99.917 | 102.525 | 104.825 | 103.983 | 106.308 | 109.383 | 113.917 | 120.242 | 124.967 | 128.992 | 133.150 | 137.808 | 139.708 | 142.608 | 145.300 | 146.758 | 148.583 | 153.958 | 158.725 | 159.142 | 163.525 | 169.242 | 175.350 | 180.550 | 183.545 | 189.983 | 190.287 | 194.025 | 200.246 | 204.130 | 207.269 | 213.268 | 213.065 | 216.242 | 220.641 | 225.943 | 228.751 | 228.979 | 238.545 | 258.275 | 267.460 | 274.168 | 277.154 |