Potatoes prices by year, 1986–2026

$0.976 in August 2026

Potatoes, white, per lb. (453.6 gm).
U.S. city average.

Calculate potatoes inflation for your own amount

Potatoes price history

Potatoes, white, per lb. (453.6 gm). U.S. city average. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics average prices, through August 2026.

These observed prices cover the specific product and unit above, which may be narrower than the potatoes CPI category. Local prices vary.

● Average price paid● In 2026 dollars

Annual averages use the available monthly observations; 2026 is a partial year through August 2026. The latest monthly price above may differ from the annual average. Gaps are left blank.

Annual average prices for Potatoes, white, per lb. (453.6 gm)
Year	Average price paid	In 2026 dollars
2026 (partial)	$0.897	$0.897
2025	$0.963	$1.001
2024	$0.982	$1.049
2023	$1.005	$1.104
2022	$0.906	$1.037
2021	$0.78	$0.964
2020	$0.811	$1.05
2019	$0.767	$1.005
2018	$0.74	$0.986
2017	$0.724	$0.989
2016	$0.681	$0.951
2015	$0.65	$0.918
2014	$0.674	$0.954
2013	$0.668	$0.96
2012	$0.659	$0.962
2011	$0.677	$1.008
2010	$0.577	$0.886
2009	$0.622	$0.971
2008	$0.631	$0.982
2007	$0.525	$0.848
2006	$0.534	$0.887
2005	$0.471	$0.808
2004	$0.454	$0.804
2003	$0.458	$0.835
2002	$0.493	$0.918
2001	$0.39	$0.738
2000	$0.38	$0.739
1999	$0.394	$0.793
1998	$0.376	$0.772
1997	$0.356	$0.742
1996	$0.381	$0.813
1995	$0.379	$0.834
1994	$0.374	$0.845
1993	$0.348	$0.808
1992	$0.305	$0.727
1991	$0.33	$0.811
1990	$0.371	$0.95
1989	$0.342	$0.923
1988	$0.261	$0.738
1987	$0.276	$0.815
1986	$0.252	$0.771

What did potatoes cost in earlier years?

The 1990 annual average was $0.371. The August 2026 monthly price is 163.37% higher. Compare other prices in 1990.
The 2000 annual average was $0.38. The August 2026 monthly price is 156.95% higher. Compare other prices in 2000.
The 2010 annual average was $0.577. The August 2026 monthly price is 69.15% higher. Compare other prices in 2010.
The 2020 annual average was $0.811. The August 2026 monthly price is 20.32% higher. Compare other prices in 2020.

How are prices adjusted for inflation?

Price in 2026 dollars = observed annual price × (2026 all-items CPI ÷ that year's all-items CPI). This measures overall purchasing power using the U.S. inflation index; the latest CPI year may be incomplete.

Average prices describe price levels. Changes in the products and stores sampled can affect these averages; category CPI controls for such changes and can follow a different path. Read the BLS explanation of average prices versus indexes.

Potatoes Inflation Calculator

Prices for Potatoes, 1939-2026 ($0.98)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for potatoes are 4,502.90% higher in 2026 versus 1939 (a $44.13 difference in value).

The dollar amounts in this section illustrate the category CPI calculation; they are not a series of observed prices.

Between 1939 and 2026:Potatoes experienced an average inflation rate of 4.50% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, potatoes costing $0.98 in the year 1939 would cost $45.11 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.71% during this same period, inflation for potatoes was higher.

Price Inflation for Potatoes since 1939

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1952 (49.63%), 1973 (48.52%), and 1942 (46.67%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $0.98 since 1939

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Potatoes, over time, for $0.98 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	$0.98	-
1940	$0.94	-3.80%
1941	$0.93	-1.32%
1942	$1.36	46.67%
1943	$1.85	35.71%
1944	$1.88	1.67%
1945	$2.00	6.35%
1946	$1.92	-4.16%
1947	$2.06	7.53%
1948	$2.29	11.03%
1949	$2.23	-2.59%
1950	$1.87	-16.04%
1951	$2.05	9.65%
1952	$3.07	49.63%
1953	$2.25	-26.92%
1954	$2.18	-3.08%
1955	$2.35	8.10%
1956	$2.81	19.19%
1957	$2.37	-15.63%
1958	$2.60	9.73%
1959	$2.62	0.72%
1960	$2.98	13.82%
1961	$2.63	-11.66%
1962	$2.65	0.77%
1963	$2.74	3.18%
1964	$3.36	22.90%
1965	$4.16	23.72%
1966	$3.33	-20.03%
1967	$3.33	0.03%
1968	$3.41	2.58%
1969	$3.66	7.24%
1970	$4.04	10.41%
1971	$3.90	-3.44%
1972	$4.21	7.88%
1973	$6.25	48.52%
1974	$7.63	22.11%
1975	$6.13	-19.66%
1976	$6.66	8.54%
1977	$6.78	1.90%
1978	$7.05	3.87%
1979	$6.76	-4.04%
1980	$8.61	27.32%
1981	$11.64	35.25%
1982	$9.86	-15.34%
1983	$9.71	-1.52%
1984	$12.33	27.04%
1985	$10.80	-12.46%
1986	$10.22	-5.32%
1987	$12.34	20.70%
1988	$12.67	2.66%
1989	$16.32	28.85%
1990	$17.29	5.92%
1991	$15.37	-11.10%
1992	$15.04	-2.12%
1993	$16.44	9.25%
1994	$18.53	12.75%
1995	$18.57	0.21%
1996	$19.20	3.39%
1997	$18.52	-3.53%
1998	$19.69	6.29%
1999	$20.53	4.29%
2000	$20.88	1.68%
2001	$21.51	3.05%
2002	$25.36	17.86%
2003	$24.25	-4.36%
2004	$24.57	1.32%
2005	$26.34	7.20%
2006	$29.04	10.26%
2007	$29.82	2.67%
2008	$34.52	15.76%
2009	$33.86	-1.89%
2010	$32.11	-5.19%
2011	$35.99	12.09%
2012	$34.07	-5.33%
2013	$34.29	0.65%
2014	$35.09	2.33%
2015	$34.76	-0.95%
2016	$35.41	1.87%
2017	$36.03	1.75%
2018	$36.33	0.84%
2019	$38.49	5.95%
2020	$40.28	4.66%
2021	$40.11	-0.43%
2022	$44.19	10.16%
2023	$46.15	4.45%
2024	$44.95	-2.60%
2025	$45.07	0.25%
2026	$45.11	0.09%*

* 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 Potatoes:

Year	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	2026
CPI	9.217	8.867	8.750	12.833	17.417	17.708	18.833	18.050	19.408	21.550	20.992	17.625	19.325	28.917	21.133	20.483	22.142	26.392	22.267	24.433	24.608	28.008	24.742	24.933	25.725	31.617	39.117	31.283	31.292	32.100	34.425	38.008	36.700	39.592	58.800	71.800	57.683	62.608	63.800	66.267	63.592	80.967	109.508	92.708	91.300	115.992	101.542	96.142	116.042	119.133	153.500	162.592	144.550	141.492	154.575	174.283	174.650	180.567	174.192	185.150	193.100	196.342	202.333	238.475	228.075	231.075	247.708	273.133	280.432	324.623	318.491	301.971	338.469	320.445	322.525	330.050	326.901	333.003	338.832	341.681	362.013	378.868	377.246	415.564	434.053	422.762	423.839	424.234

Adjust potatoes prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1939* 1939 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Potatoes was 9.217 in the year 1939 and 424.234 in 2026:

424.234 / 9.217* $0.98 = $45.11

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $0.98 in 1939 has the same "purchasing power" as $45.11 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Potatoes).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Potatoes in 1939. In addition to potatoes, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

In other countries: