According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in San Francisco, California are 2,698.15% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $2,104,558.13 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2025: San Francisco experienced an average inflation rate of 3.95% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $78,000 in San Francisco in the year 1939 would cost $2,182,558.13 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% during this same period, inflation in San Francisco was higher.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by -1.17%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in San Francisco during the 1939-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.31%), inflation in San Francisco was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in San Francisco, over time, for $78,000 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 | $78,000.00 | -1.17% |
| 1940 | $77,846.25 | -0.20% |
| 1941 | $82,099.87 | 5.46% |
| 1942 | $91,990.80 | 12.05% |
| 1943 | $98,089.36 | 6.63% |
| 1944 | $100,600.53 | 2.56% |
| 1945 | $103,419.19 | 2.80% |
| 1946 | $111,618.92 | 7.93% |
| 1947 | $125,968.46 | 12.86% |
| 1948 | $135,039.42 | 7.20% |
| 1949 | $135,551.91 | 0.38% |
| 1950 | $134,834.43 | -0.53% |
| 1951 | $145,391.59 | 7.83% |
| 1952 | $151,131.41 | 3.95% |
| 1953 | $153,898.82 | 1.83% |
| 1954 | $154,206.31 | 0.20% |
| 1955 | $153,130.09 | -0.70% |
| 1956 | $155,948.75 | 1.84% |
| 1957 | $162,559.79 | 4.24% |
| 1958 | $168,555.85 | 3.69% |
| 1959 | $171,835.74 | 1.95% |
| 1960 | $175,371.88 | 2.06% |
| 1961 | $177,678.06 | 1.32% |
| 1962 | $180,394.22 | 1.53% |
| 1963 | $182,956.64 | 1.42% |
| 1964 | $185,775.30 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $189,260.18 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $193,872.54 | 2.44% |
| 1967 | $199,356.11 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $208,170.83 | 4.42% |
| 1969 | $219,137.98 | 5.27% |
| 1970 | $230,873.85 | 5.36% |
| 1971 | $239,637.32 | 3.80% |
| 1972 | $247,990.80 | 3.49% |
| 1973 | $261,776.61 | 5.56% |
| 1974 | $286,170.83 | 9.32% |
| 1975 | $316,099.87 | 10.46% |
| 1976 | $334,651.77 | 5.87% |
| 1977 | $359,045.99 | 7.29% |
| 1978 | $394,407.36 | 9.85% |
| 1979 | $426,796.32 | 8.21% |
| 1980 | $492,599.21 | 15.42% |
| 1981 | $554,660.97 | 12.60% |
| 1982 | $600,118.27 | 8.20% |
| 1983 | $604,115.64 | 0.67% |
| 1984 | $638,247.04 | 5.65% |
| 1985 | $665,408.67 | 4.26% |
| 1986 | $686,113.01 | 3.11% |
| 1987 | $709,636.01 | 3.43% |
| 1988 | $741,051.25 | 4.43% |
| 1989 | $777,027.60 | 4.85% |
| 1990 | $812,081.47 | 4.51% |
| 1991 | $848,109.07 | 4.44% |
| 1992 | $876,346.91 | 3.33% |
| 1993 | $899,972.40 | 2.70% |
| 1994 | $914,168.20 | 1.58% |
| 1995 | $932,105.12 | 1.96% |
| 1996 | $953,629.43 | 2.31% |
| 1997 | $986,325.89 | 3.43% |
| 1998 | $1,016,869.91 | 3.10% |
| 1999 | $1,058,842.31 | 4.13% |
| 2000 | $1,105,632.06 | 4.42% |
| 2001 | $1,166,361.37 | 5.49% |
| 2002 | $1,186,091.98 | 1.69% |
| 2003 | $1,207,565.05 | 1.81% |
| 2004 | $1,221,555.85 | 1.16% |
| 2005 | $1,245,591.33 | 1.97% |
| 2006 | $1,285,001.31 | 3.16% |
| 2007 | $1,326,599.09 | 3.24% |
| 2008 | $1,369,979.80 | 3.27% |
| 2009 | $1,378,527.00 | 0.62% |
| 2010 | $1,398,015.73 | 1.41% |
| 2011 | $1,433,600.54 | 2.55% |
| 2012 | $1,472,472.93 | 2.71% |
| 2013 | $1,505,264.70 | 2.23% |
| 2014 | $1,547,983.29 | 2.84% |
| 2015 | $1,587,536.77 | 2.56% |
| 2016 | $1,636,104.84 | 3.06% |
| 2017 | $1,689,587.11 | 3.27% |
| 2018 | $1,754,522.37 | 3.84% |
| 2019 | $1,812,830.18 | 3.32% |
| 2020 | $1,844,624.66 | 1.75% |
| 2021 | $1,903,478.28 | 3.19% |
| 2022 | $2,008,995.57 | 5.54% |
| 2023 | $2,083,354.89 | 3.70% |
| 2024 | $2,142,263.34 | 2.83% |
| 2025 | $2,182,558.13 | 1.88%* |
* 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 San Francisco, California:
| 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 | 9.200 | 9.200 | 9.267 | 10.133 | 11.808 | 14.583 | 16.917 | 15.567 | 14.667 | 14.633 | 14.708 | 14.992 | 15.125 | 14.992 | 14.858 | 14.892 | 14.683 | 13.600 | 12.475 | 11.858 | 12.208 | 12.433 | 12.350 | 12.775 | 12.833 | 12.683 | 12.658 | 13.350 | 14.958 | 15.950 | 16.358 | 16.817 | 18.150 | 20.483 | 21.958 | 22.042 | 21.925 | 23.642 | 24.575 | 25.025 | 25.075 | 24.900 | 25.358 | 26.433 | 27.408 | 27.942 | 28.517 | 28.892 | 29.333 | 29.750 | 30.208 | 30.775 | 31.525 | 32.417 | 33.850 | 35.633 | 37.542 | 38.967 | 40.325 | 42.567 | 46.533 | 51.400 | 54.417 | 58.383 | 64.133 | 69.400 | 80.100 | 90.192 | 97.583 | 98.233 | 103.783 | 108.200 | 111.567 | 115.392 | 120.500 | 126.350 | 132.050 | 137.908 | 142.500 | 146.342 | 148.650 | 151.567 | 155.067 | 160.383 | 165.350 | 172.175 | 179.783 | 189.658 | 192.867 | 196.358 | 198.633 | 202.542 | 208.950 | 215.714 | 222.768 | 224.158 | 227.327 | 233.113 | 239.434 | 244.766 | 251.713 | 258.144 | 266.042 | 274.738 | 285.297 | 294.779 | 299.949 | 309.519 | 326.676 | 338.768 | 348.347 | 354.899 |