According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Seattle, Washington are 2,618.33% higher in 2025 versus 1938 (a $23,303,111.66 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2025: Seattle experienced an average inflation rate of 3.87% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $890,000 in Seattle in the year 1938 would cost $24,193,111.66 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.66% during this same period, inflation in Seattle was higher.
In the year 1938: Pricing changed by -0.25%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Seattle during the 1938-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation in Seattle was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Seattle, over time, for $890,000 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $890,000.00 | -0.25% |
| 1939 | $883,846.64 | -0.69% |
| 1940 | $885,524.83 | 0.19% |
| 1941 | $940,345.69 | 6.19% |
| 1942 | $1,057,259.59 | 12.43% |
| 1943 | $1,117,674.42 | 5.71% |
| 1944 | $1,137,253.30 | 1.75% |
| 1945 | $1,162,426.15 | 2.21% |
| 1946 | $1,251,370.21 | 7.65% |
| 1947 | $1,407,441.86 | 12.47% |
| 1948 | $1,527,712.13 | 8.55% |
| 1949 | $1,528,271.53 | 0.04% |
| 1950 | $1,537,781.27 | 0.62% |
| 1951 | $1,661,407.92 | 8.04% |
| 1952 | $1,711,194.22 | 3.00% |
| 1953 | $1,727,976.12 | 0.98% |
| 1954 | $1,730,773.10 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $1,738,045.25 | 0.42% |
| 1956 | $1,757,064.74 | 1.09% |
| 1957 | $1,831,464.49 | 4.23% |
| 1958 | $1,873,419.23 | 2.29% |
| 1959 | $1,907,542.43 | 1.82% |
| 1960 | $1,931,596.48 | 1.26% |
| 1961 | $1,964,041.48 | 1.68% |
| 1962 | $1,994,808.30 | 1.57% |
| 1963 | $2,025,575.11 | 1.54% |
| 1964 | $2,054,663.73 | 1.44% |
| 1965 | $2,074,802.01 | 0.98% |
| 1966 | $2,133,538.65 | 2.83% |
| 1967 | $2,196,191.07 | 2.94% |
| 1968 | $2,284,016.34 | 4.00% |
| 1969 | $2,394,776.87 | 4.85% |
| 1970 | $2,502,740.41 | 4.51% |
| 1971 | $2,557,561.28 | 2.19% |
| 1972 | $2,629,723.44 | 2.82% |
| 1973 | $2,787,473.29 | 6.00% |
| 1974 | $3,084,512.88 | 10.66% |
| 1975 | $3,410,081.71 | 10.55% |
| 1976 | $3,606,429.92 | 5.76% |
| 1977 | $3,883,331.24 | 7.68% |
| 1978 | $4,272,671.28 | 10.03% |
| 1979 | $4,731,376.49 | 10.74% |
| 1980 | $5,524,600.88 | 16.77% |
| 1981 | $6,132,105.59 | 11.00% |
| 1982 | $6,557,247.01 | 6.93% |
| 1983 | $6,655,700.82 | 1.50% |
| 1984 | $6,904,072.91 | 3.73% |
| 1985 | $7,081,961.03 | 2.58% |
| 1986 | $7,160,835.95 | 1.11% |
| 1987 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.12% |
| 1988 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1989 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1990 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1991 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1992 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1993 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1994 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1995 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1996 | $7,169,226.90 | 0.00% ** |
| 1997 | $7,494,795.73 | 4.54% |
| 1998 | $11,248,346.95 | 50.08% |
| 1999 | $11,585,103.71 | 2.99% |
| 2000 | $12,009,685.73 | 3.66% |
| 2001 | $12,452,168.45 | 3.68% |
| 2002 | $12,698,862.35 | 1.98% |
| 2003 | $12,909,754.87 | 1.66% |
| 2004 | $13,059,113.76 | 1.16% |
| 2005 | $13,424,399.75 | 2.80% |
| 2006 | $13,914,431.18 | 3.65% |
| 2007 | $14,449,426.90 | 3.84% |
| 2008 | $15,074,899.43 | 4.33% |
| 2009 | $15,164,291.01 | 0.59% |
| 2010 | $15,213,808.80 | 0.33% |
| 2011 | $15,602,790.82 | 2.56% |
| 2012 | $16,012,006.22 | 2.62% |
| 2013 | $16,207,051.04 | 1.22% |
| 2014 | $16,503,536.83 | 1.83% |
| 2015 | $16,724,778.19 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | $17,098,583.78 | 2.24% |
| 2017 | $17,611,377.06 | 3.00% |
| 2018 | $18,177,441.67 | 3.21% |
| 2019 | $18,639,374.61 | 2.54% |
| 2020 | $18,957,716.03 | 1.71% |
| 2021 | $19,808,530.30 | 4.49% |
| 2022 | $21,569,219.92 | 8.89% |
| 2023 | $22,861,247.08 | 5.99% |
| 2024 | $23,703,547.33 | 3.68% |
| 2025 | $24,193,111.66 | 2.07%* |
* 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 Seattle, Washington:
| 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 | 9.192 | 9.150 | 9.875 | 12.100 | 15.933 | 18.875 | 16.975 | 15.658 | 15.433 | 15.550 | 15.833 | 15.875 | 15.725 | 15.350 | 15.458 | 15.408 | 14.067 | 12.892 | 12.050 | 12.192 | 12.550 | 12.717 | 13.292 | 13.258 | 13.167 | 13.192 | 14.008 | 15.750 | 16.650 | 16.942 | 17.317 | 18.642 | 20.967 | 22.758 | 22.767 | 22.908 | 24.750 | 25.492 | 25.742 | 25.783 | 25.892 | 26.175 | 27.283 | 27.908 | 28.417 | 28.775 | 29.258 | 29.717 | 30.175 | 30.608 | 30.908 | 31.783 | 32.717 | 34.025 | 35.675 | 37.283 | 38.100 | 39.175 | 41.525 | 45.950 | 50.800 | 53.725 | 57.850 | 63.650 | 70.483 | 82.300 | 91.350 | 97.683 | 99.150 | 102.850 | 105.500 | 106.675 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 106.800 | 111.650 | 167.567 | 172.583 | 178.908 | 185.500 | 189.175 | 192.317 | 194.542 | 199.983 | 207.283 | 215.253 | 224.571 | 225.903 | 226.640 | 232.435 | 238.531 | 241.436 | 245.853 | 249.149 | 254.718 | 262.357 | 270.789 | 277.671 | 282.413 | 295.088 | 321.317 | 340.564 | 353.112 | 360.405 |