Prices are now 13.9x higher than in 1950
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, something that cost $100 in 1950 costs about $1,389.96 today. The inflation rate in 1950 was 1.3%, and total inflation from 1950 to August 2026 was 1,290%.
The federal minimum wage was $0.75 an hour at the end of 1950, or about $10.42 an hour in today's dollars.
The S&P 500 index started 1950 at 16.88. With dividends reinvested, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1950 would have grown to about $461,680.21 by 2026, before adjusting for inflation.
Some costs rose much faster than others. Compared with overall inflation, tobacco rose the most since 1950 (493% more than inflation), and clothing rose the least (76% less).
| All prices, on average | $1,389.96 |
| Food | $1,371.69 |
| Groceries | $1,175.12 |
| Eggs | $448.44 |
| Milk | $807.33 |
| Bread | $1,906.75 |
| Meat | $1,249.86 |
| Fresh fruit | $1,893.96 |
| Sugar and sweets | $1,605.50 |
Cost of living in 1950 by category
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing average prices for individual items in 1980. For 1950, these comparisons use the consumer price index for each spending category: each row shows what something that cost $100 in 1950 costs in August 2026, and how that compares with overall inflation of 1,290%.
Food & drink
| Category | $100 in 1950 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $100 in 1950 today$1,371.69 | Compared with inflation1% less than inflation |
| Groceries | $100 in 1950 today$1,175.12 | Compared with inflation15% less than inflation |
| Eggs | $100 in 1950 today$448.44 | Compared with inflation68% less than inflation |
| Milk | $100 in 1950 today$807.33 | Compared with inflation42% less than inflation |
| Bread | $100 in 1950 today$1,906.75 | Compared with inflation37% more than inflation |
| Meat | $100 in 1950 today$1,249.86 | Compared with inflation10% less than inflation |
| Fresh fruit | $100 in 1950 today$1,893.96 | Compared with inflation36% more than inflation |
| Sugar and sweets | $100 in 1950 today$1,605.50 | Compared with inflation16% more than inflation |
| Tobacco | $100 in 1950 today$8,246.79 | Compared with inflation493% more than inflation |
Housing & energy
| Category | $100 in 1950 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $100 in 1950 today$1,496.24 | Compared with inflation8% more than inflation |
| Electricity | $100 in 1950 today$1,121.52 | Compared with inflation19% less than inflation |
| Natural gas | $100 in 1950 today$2,032.30 | Compared with inflation46% more than inflation |
| Heating oil | $100 in 1950 today$4,387.88 | Compared with inflation216% more than inflation |
Transportation
| Category | $100 in 1950 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $100 in 1950 today$1,769.22 | Compared with inflation27% more than inflation |
| New cars | $100 in 1950 today$426.08 | Compared with inflation69% less than inflation |
| Public transportation | $100 in 1950 today$2,161.31 | Compared with inflation55% more than inflation |
Other costs
| Category | $100 in 1950 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 in 1950 today$337.56 | Compared with inflation76% less than inflation |
| Shoes | $100 in 1950 today$491.86 | Compared with inflation65% less than inflation |
| Medical care | $100 in 1950 today$3,919.09 | Compared with inflation182% more than inflation |
| Doctor visits | $100 in 1950 today$2,792.67 | Compared with inflation101% more than inflation |
| Prescription drugs | $100 in 1950 today$1,295.40 | Compared with inflation7% less than inflation |
| Personal care | $100 in 1950 today$1,148.71 | Compared with inflation17% less than inflation |
| Postage | $100 in 1950 today$2,717.76 | Compared with inflation96% more than inflation |
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1950 worth today?
$1 in 1950 has about the same buying power as $13.90 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1950?
The U.S. inflation rate in 1950 was 1.3%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1949 to 1950.
What was the minimum wage in 1950?
The federal minimum wage at the end of 1950 was $0.75 an hour, or about $10.42 an hour in today's dollars.
Which costs rose the most since 1950?
Of the spending categories tracked since 1950, tobacco rose the most relative to overall inflation: something that cost $100 in 1950 costs about $8246.79 today. Clothing rose the least, to about $337.56.
Where these numbers come from
Category comparisons use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for each category, from the 1950 annual average to August 2026. Overall inflation uses the same consumer price index as our 1950 inflation calculator. The federal minimum wage is from the U.S. Department of Labor, via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. S&P 500 values are from Robert Shiller's historical stock market data.
Prices in other years
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
- 1929
- 1930
- 1931
- 1932
- 1933
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- 1936
- 1937
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- 1939
- 1940
- 1941
- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1947
- 1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954
- 1955
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- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
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- 1964
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- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
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- 1974
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- 1977
- 1978
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
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- 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
| All prices, on average | $1,389.96 |
| Food | $1,371.69 |
| Groceries | $1,175.12 |
| Eggs | $448.44 |
| Milk | $807.33 |
| Bread | $1,906.75 |
| Meat | $1,249.86 |
| Fresh fruit | $1,893.96 |
| Sugar and sweets | $1,605.50 |