According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Houston, Texas are 2,000.98% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $12,806,264.56 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, $640,000 in Houston in the year 1939 would cost $13,446,264.56 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 $640,000 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 | $640,000.00 | -0.88% |
| 1940 | $641,617.18 | 0.25% |
| 1941 | $669,513.58 | 4.35% |
| 1942 | $739,456.73 | 10.45% |
| 1943 | $778,673.40 | 5.30% |
| 1944 | $785,950.73 | 0.93% |
| 1945 | $802,526.85 | 2.11% |
| 1946 | $866,001.26 | 7.91% |
| 1947 | $1,018,016.42 | 17.55% |
| 1948 | $1,102,918.51 | 8.34% |
| 1949 | $1,099,684.14 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | $1,132,836.39 | 3.01% |
| 1951 | $1,223,398.61 | 7.99% |
| 1952 | $1,238,357.55 | 1.22% |
| 1953 | $1,251,295.01 | 1.04% |
| 1954 | $1,253,316.49 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $1,241,996.21 | -0.90% |
| 1956 | $1,260,998.10 | 1.53% |
| 1957 | $1,302,640.56 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $1,325,281.11 | 1.74% |
| 1959 | $1,334,579.91 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | $1,349,943.15 | 1.15% |
| 1961 | $1,354,794.69 | 0.36% |
| 1962 | $1,381,882.50 | 2.00% |
| 1963 | $1,393,607.08 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | $1,415,034.74 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $1,432,015.16 | 1.20% |
| 1966 | $1,470,018.95 | 2.65% |
| 1967 | $1,508,831.33 | 2.64% |
| 1968 | $1,569,475.68 | 4.02% |
| 1969 | $1,671,358.18 | 6.49% |
| 1970 | $1,759,898.93 | 5.30% |
| 1971 | $1,825,394.82 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | $1,888,464.94 | 3.46% |
| 1973 | $1,987,921.67 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $2,209,879.97 | 11.17% |
| 1975 | $2,479,140.87 | 12.18% |
| 1976 | $2,667,138.34 | 7.58% |
| 1977 | $2,859,987.37 | 7.23% |
| 1978 | $3,130,056.85 | 9.44% |
| 1979 | $3,545,672.77 | 13.28% |
| 1980 | $3,997,675.30 | 12.75% |
| 1981 | $4,397,523.69 | 10.00% |
| 1982 | $4,713,278.58 | 7.18% |
| 1983 | $4,847,504.74 | 2.85% |
| 1984 | $4,974,049.27 | 2.61% |
| 1985 | $5,085,634.87 | 2.24% |
| 1986 | $5,044,801.01 | -0.80% |
| 1987 | $5,157,599.49 | 2.24% |
| 1988 | $5,306,784.59 | 2.89% |
| 1989 | $5,526,721.42 | 4.14% |
| 1990 | $5,833,581.81 | 5.55% |
| 1991 | $6,062,817.44 | 3.93% |
| 1992 | $6,258,092.23 | 3.22% |
| 1993 | $6,459,835.75 | 3.22% |
| 1994 | $6,685,837.02 | 3.50% |
| 1995 | $6,778,016.42 | 1.38% |
| 1996 | $6,918,711.31 | 2.08% |
| 1997 | $7,049,298.80 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | $7,120,050.54 | 1.00% |
| 1999 | $7,208,591.28 | 1.24% |
| 2000 | $7,469,361.97 | 3.62% |
| 2001 | $7,700,619.08 | 3.10% |
| 2002 | $7,720,833.86 | 0.26% |
| 2003 | $7,933,493.37 | 2.75% |
| 2004 | $8,210,840.18 | 3.50% |
| 2005 | $8,507,188.88 | 3.61% |
| 2006 | $8,759,469.36 | 2.97% |
| 2007 | $8,904,781.30 | 1.66% |
| 2008 | $9,217,115.86 | 3.51% |
| 2009 | $9,231,880.73 | 0.16% |
| 2010 | $9,413,195.20 | 1.96% |
| 2011 | $9,715,046.37 | 3.21% |
| 2012 | $9,903,488.57 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | $10,055,742.26 | 1.54% |
| 2014 | $10,346,786.61 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | $10,336,962.22 | -0.09% |
| 2016 | $10,491,083.77 | 1.49% |
| 2017 | $10,704,527.61 | 2.03% |
| 2018 | $10,961,744.54 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | $11,097,963.87 | 1.24% |
| 2020 | $11,109,005.18 | 0.10% |
| 2021 | $11,573,120.40 | 4.18% |
| 2022 | $12,530,338.85 | 8.27% |
| 2023 | $12,975,961.59 | 3.56% |
| 2024 | $13,301,395.33 | 2.51% |
| 2025 | $13,446,264.56 | 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 |