Shelter priced at $20 in 1975 $169.57 in 2025

Shelter Inflation Calculator

$

Prices for Shelter, 1975-2025 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for shelter are 747.85% higher in 2025 versus 1975 (a $149.57 difference in value).

Between 1975 and 2025: Shelter experienced an average inflation rate of 4.37% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, shelter costing $20 in the year 1975 would cost $169.57 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.64% during this same period, inflation for shelter was higher.

In the year 1975: Pricing changed by 9.87%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for shelter during the 1975-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1975 (9.14%), inflation for shelter was higher.

Price Inflation for Shelter since 1952

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.55%), 1979 (13.90%), and 1981 (11.72%).

View price changes for other categories
Fresh fruits · Gasoline (all types) · Educational books and supplies · Wireless telephone services · More

Buying power of $20.00 since 1975

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Shelter, over time, for $20 beginning in 1975. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1975$20.009.87%
1976$21.105.50%
1977$22.526.74%
1978$24.8010.09%
1979$28.2413.90%
1980$33.2017.55%
1981$37.0911.72%
1982$39.727.08%
1983$40.632.31%
1984$42.634.90%
1985$45.015.60%
1986$47.485.47%
1987$49.704.68%
1988$52.094.82%
1989$54.454.52%
1990$57.385.39%
1991$59.964.49%
1992$61.973.36%
1993$63.833.00%
1994$65.803.08%
1995$67.913.22%
1996$70.113.23%
1997$72.263.07%
1998$74.653.31%
1999$76.762.83%
2000$79.263.25%
2001$82.213.73%
2002$85.303.75%
2003$87.362.41%
2004$89.702.69%
2005$91.992.55%
2006$95.153.43%
2007$98.633.65%
2008$101.112.52%
2009$102.211.09%
2010$101.82-0.38%
2011$103.151.31%
2012$105.382.16%
2013$107.832.32%
2014$110.882.83%
2015$114.283.06%
2016$118.153.38%
2017$122.073.32%
2018$126.113.31%
2019$130.373.38%
2020$133.582.46%
2021$137.142.67%
2022$145.205.88%
2023$156.037.45%
2024$164.195.23%
2025$169.573.28%*

* 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 Shelter:

Year19521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI21.60022.00022.48522.74623.12323.96224.46924.73125.23125.44625.73126.06926.50026.99227.80028.76930.13132.57735.53837.02338.67740.47744.40848.79251.47754.94660.49268.90080.99290.48596.89299.131103.992109.815115.823121.246127.085132.831139.985146.277151.192155.731160.523165.685171.031176.277182.108187.262193.354200.562208.092213.115218.838224.423232.131240.611246.666249.354248.396251.646257.083263.056270.513278.803288.230297.803307.663318.053325.886334.575354.235380.643400.561413.685

Adjust shelter prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1975 * 1975 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Shelter was 48.792 in the year 1975 and 413.685 in 2025:

413.685 / 48.792 * $20 = $169.57

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1975 has the same "purchasing power" as $169.57 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Shelter).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Shelter in 1952. In addition to shelter, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

» Read more about inflation and investment.