According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in San Francisco, California are 2,703.68% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $1,432,949.21 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: San Francisco experienced an average inflation rate of 4% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $53,000 in San Francisco in the year 1940 would cost $1,485,949.21 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation in San Francisco was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.20%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in San Francisco during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in San Francisco was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in San Francisco, over time, for $53,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $53,000.00 | -0.20% |
| 1941 | $55,895.98 | 5.46% |
| 1942 | $62,630.02 | 12.05% |
| 1943 | $66,782.09 | 6.63% |
| 1944 | $68,491.77 | 2.56% |
| 1945 | $70,410.80 | 2.80% |
| 1946 | $75,993.42 | 7.93% |
| 1947 | $85,763.00 | 12.86% |
| 1948 | $91,938.78 | 7.20% |
| 1949 | $92,287.69 | 0.38% |
| 1950 | $91,799.21 | -0.53% |
| 1951 | $98,986.83 | 7.83% |
| 1952 | $102,894.67 | 3.95% |
| 1953 | $104,778.80 | 1.83% |
| 1954 | $104,988.15 | 0.20% |
| 1955 | $104,255.43 | -0.70% |
| 1956 | $106,174.46 | 1.84% |
| 1957 | $110,675.44 | 4.24% |
| 1958 | $114,757.74 | 3.69% |
| 1959 | $116,990.78 | 1.95% |
| 1960 | $119,398.29 | 2.06% |
| 1961 | $120,968.40 | 1.32% |
| 1962 | $122,817.64 | 1.53% |
| 1963 | $124,562.21 | 1.42% |
| 1964 | $126,481.24 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $128,853.85 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $131,994.08 | 2.44% |
| 1967 | $135,727.45 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $141,728.77 | 4.42% |
| 1969 | $149,195.52 | 5.27% |
| 1970 | $157,185.65 | 5.36% |
| 1971 | $163,152.07 | 3.80% |
| 1972 | $168,839.37 | 3.49% |
| 1973 | $178,225.15 | 5.56% |
| 1974 | $194,833.44 | 9.32% |
| 1975 | $215,210.01 | 10.46% |
| 1976 | $227,840.68 | 5.87% |
| 1977 | $244,448.98 | 7.29% |
| 1978 | $268,524.03 | 9.85% |
| 1979 | $290,575.38 | 8.21% |
| 1980 | $335,375.91 | 15.42% |
| 1981 | $377,629.36 | 12.60% |
| 1982 | $408,578.01 | 8.20% |
| 1983 | $411,299.54 | 0.67% |
| 1984 | $434,537.20 | 5.65% |
| 1985 | $453,029.62 | 4.26% |
| 1986 | $467,125.74 | 3.11% |
| 1987 | $483,140.88 | 3.43% |
| 1988 | $504,529.30 | 4.43% |
| 1989 | $529,023.04 | 4.85% |
| 1990 | $552,888.74 | 4.51% |
| 1991 | $577,417.38 | 4.44% |
| 1992 | $596,642.53 | 3.33% |
| 1993 | $612,727.45 | 2.70% |
| 1994 | $622,392.36 | 1.58% |
| 1995 | $634,604.34 | 1.96% |
| 1996 | $649,258.72 | 2.31% |
| 1997 | $671,519.42 | 3.43% |
| 1998 | $692,314.68 | 3.10% |
| 1999 | $720,890.72 | 4.13% |
| 2000 | $752,746.54 | 4.42% |
| 2001 | $794,092.82 | 5.49% |
| 2002 | $807,526.00 | 1.69% |
| 2003 | $822,145.49 | 1.81% |
| 2004 | $831,670.84 | 1.16% |
| 2005 | $848,034.89 | 1.97% |
| 2006 | $874,866.36 | 3.16% |
| 2007 | $903,187.34 | 3.24% |
| 2008 | $932,722.19 | 3.27% |
| 2009 | $938,541.38 | 0.62% |
| 2010 | $951,809.87 | 1.41% |
| 2011 | $976,037.04 | 2.55% |
| 2012 | $1,002,502.50 | 2.71% |
| 2013 | $1,024,828.10 | 2.23% |
| 2014 | $1,053,912.15 | 2.84% |
| 2015 | $1,080,841.32 | 2.56% |
| 2016 | $1,113,907.87 | 3.06% |
| 2017 | $1,150,320.16 | 3.27% |
| 2018 | $1,194,529.98 | 3.84% |
| 2019 | $1,234,227.64 | 3.32% |
| 2020 | $1,255,874.25 | 1.75% |
| 2021 | $1,295,943.51 | 3.19% |
| 2022 | $1,367,782.76 | 5.54% |
| 2023 | $1,418,408.75 | 3.70% |
| 2024 | $1,458,515.34 | 2.83% |
| 2025 | $1,485,949.21 | 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 |