Source:
Handbook of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Indexes from 1800 to 1912 and 2019 estimated by splicing the following series:
- 1800 to 1851 - Index of Prices Paid by Vermont Farmers for Family Living;
- 1851 to 1890 - Consumer Price Index by Ethel D. Hoover;
- 1890 to 1912 - Cost of Living Index by Albert Rees;
- 1890 to 2018 - Consumer Price Index;
- 2019 - An estimate for 2019 is based on the change in the CPI from second quarter 2018 to second quarter 2019.
To calculate the change in prices, use the formula from the example below:
What is $1 in 1850 worth in 2019?
2019 Price = 1850 Price x (2019 CPI / 1850 CPI)
2019 Price = $1 x (768.3 / 25)
2019 Price = $30.73
$1 in 1850 is worth $30.73 in 2019.
CPI-U
1967 = 100
| Year | Annual Average | Annual Percent Change (rate of inflation) |
|---|---|---|
|
1800
|
51
|
|
|
1801
|
50
|
-2.0%
|
|
1802
|
43
|
-14.0%
|
|
1803
|
45
|
4.7%
|
|
1804
|
45
|
0.0%
|
|
1805
|
45
|
0.0%
|
|
1806
|
47
|
4.4%
|
|
1807
|
44
|
-6.4%
|
|
1808
|
48
|
9.1%
|
|
1809
|
47
|
-2.1%
|
|
1810
|
47
|
0.0%
|
|
1811
|
50
|
6.4%
|
|
1812
|
51
|
2.0%
|
|
1813
|
58
|
13.7%
|
|
1814
|
63
|
8.6%
|
|
1815
|
55
|
-12.7%
|
|
1816
|
51
|
-7.3%
|
|
1817
|
48
|
-5.9%
|
|
1818
|
46
|
-4.2%
|
|
1819
|
46
|
0.0%
|
|
1820
|
42
|
-8.7%
|
|
1821
|
40
|
-4.8%
|
|
1822
|
40
|
0.0%
|
|
1823
|
36
|
-10.0%
|
|
1824
|
33
|
-8.3%
|
|
1825
|
34
|
3.0%
|
|
1826
|
34
|
0.0%
|
|
1827
|
34
|
0.0%
|
|
1828
|
33
|
-2.9%
|
|
1829
|
32
|
-3.0%
|
|
1830
|
32
|
0.0%
|
|
1831
|
32
|
0.0%
|
|
1832
|
30
|
-6.3%
|
|
1833
|
29
|
-3.3%
|
|
1834
|
30
|
3.4%
|
|
1835
|
31
|
3.3%
|
|
1836
|
33
|
6.5%
|
|
1837
|
34
|
3.0%
|
|
1838
|
32
|
-5.9%
|
|
1839
|
32
|
0.0%
|
|
1840
|
30
|
-6.3%
|
|
1841
|
31
|
3.3%
|
|
1842
|
29
|
-6.5%
|
|
1843
|
28
|
-3.4%
|
|
1844
|
28
|
0.0%
|
|
1845
|
28
|
0.0%
|
|
1846
|
27
|
-3.6%
|
|
1847
|
28
|
3.7%
|
|
1848
|
26
|
-7.1%
|
|
1849
|
25
|
-3.8%
|
|
1850
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1851
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1852
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1853
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1854
|
27
|
8.0%
|
|
1855
|
28
|
3.7%
|
|
1856
|
27
|
-3.6%
|
|
1857
|
28
|
3.7%
|
|
1858
|
26
|
-7.1%
|
|
1859
|
27
|
3.8%
|
|
1860
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1861
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1862
|
30
|
11.1%
|
|
1863
|
37
|
23.3%
|
|
1864
|
47
|
27.0%
|
|
1865
|
46
|
-2.1%
|
|
1866
|
44
|
-4.3%
|
|
1867
|
42
|
-4.5%
|
|
1868
|
40
|
-4.8%
|
|
1869
|
40
|
0.0%
|
|
1870
|
38
|
-5.0%
|
|
1871
|
36
|
-5.3%
|
|
1872
|
36
|
0.0%
|
|
1873
|
36
|
0.0%
|
|
1874
|
34
|
-5.6%
|
|
1875
|
33
|
-2.9%
|
|
1876
|
32
|
-3.0%
|
|
1877
|
32
|
0.0%
|
|
1878
|
29
|
-9.4%
|
|
1879
|
28
|
-3.4%
|
|
1880
|
29
|
3.6%
|
|
1881
|
29
|
0.0%
|
|
1882
|
29
|
0.0%
|
|
1883
|
28
|
-3.4%
|
|
1884
|
27
|
-3.6%
|
|
1885
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1886
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1887
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1888
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1889
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1890
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1891
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1892
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1893
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1894
|
26
|
-3.7%
|
|
1895
|
25
|
-3.8%
|
|
1896
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1897
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1898
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1899
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1900
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1901
|
25
|
0.0%
|
|
1902
|
26
|
4.0%
|
|
1903
|
27
|
3.8%
|
|
1904
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1905
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1906
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1907
|
28
|
3.7%
|
|
1908
|
27
|
-3.6%
|
|
1909
|
27
|
0.0%
|
|
1910
|
28
|
3.7%
|
|
1911
|
28
|
0.0%
|
|
1912
|
29
|
3.6%
|
|
1913
|
29.7
|
2.4%
|
|
1914
|
30.1
|
1.3%
|
|
1915
|
30.4
|
0.9%
|
|
1916
|
32.7
|
7.7%
|
|
1917
|
38.5
|
17.8%
|
|
1918
|
45.2
|
17.3%
|
|
1919
|
52.1
|
15.2%
|
|
1920
|
60.2
|
15.6%
|
|
1921
|
53.6
|
-10.9%
|
|
1922
|
50.3
|
-6.2%
|
|
1923
|
51.2
|
1.8%
|
|
1924
|
51.5
|
0.4%
|
|
1925
|
52.7
|
2.4%
|
|
1926
|
53.2
|
0.9%
|
|
1927
|
52.2
|
-1.9%
|
|
1928
|
51.6
|
-1.2%
|
|
1929
|
51.6
|
0.0%
|
|
1930
|
50.2
|
-2.7%
|
|
1931
|
45.7
|
-8.9%
|
|
1932
|
41.0
|
-10.3%
|
|
1933
|
38.9
|
-5.2%
|
|
1934
|
40.2
|
3.5%
|
|
1935
|
41.2
|
2.6%
|
|
1936
|
41.7
|
1.0%
|
|
1937
|
43.2
|
3.7%
|
|
1938
|
42.3
|
-2.0%
|
|
1939
|
41.8
|
-1.3%
|
|
1940
|
42.1
|
0.7%
|
|
1941
|
44.2
|
5.1%
|
|
1942
|
49.1
|
10.9%
|
|
1943
|
52.0
|
6.0%
|
|
1944
|
52.9
|
1.6%
|
|
1945
|
54.1
|
2.3%
|
|
1946
|
58.6
|
8.5%
|
|
1947
|
67.1
|
14.4%
|
|
1948
|
72.2
|
7.7%
|
|
1949
|
71.5
|
-1.0%
|
|
1950
|
72.3
|
1.1%
|
|
1951
|
78.0
|
7.9%
|
|
1952
|
79.8
|
2.3%
|
|
1953
|
80.4
|
0.8%
|
|
1954
|
80.7
|
0.3%
|
|
1955
|
80.5
|
-0.3%
|
|
1956
|
81.7
|
1.5%
|
|
1957
|
84.4
|
3.3%
|
|
1958
|
86.7
|
2.7%
|
|
1959
|
87.6
|
1.0%
|
|
1960
|
88.9
|
1.5%
|
|
1961
|
89.8
|
1.1%
|
|
1962
|
90.9
|
1.2%
|
|
1963
|
92.0
|
1.2%
|
|
1964
|
93.2
|
1.3%
|
|
1965
|
94.7
|
1.6%
|
|
1966
|
97.5
|
3.0%
|
|
1967
|
100.2
|
2.8%
|
|
1968
|
104.5
|
4.3%
|
|
1969
|
110.2
|
5.5%
|
|
1970
|
116.7
|
5.8%
|
|
1971
|
121.7
|
4.3%
|
|
1972
|
125.7
|
3.3%
|
|
1973
|
133.4
|
6.2%
|
|
1974
|
148.2
|
11.1%
|
|
1975
|
161.7
|
9.1%
|
|
1976
|
171.0
|
5.7%
|
|
1977
|
182.1
|
6.5%
|
|
1978
|
196.0
|
7.6%
|
|
1979
|
218.1
|
11.3%
|
|
1980
|
247.6
|
13.5%
|
|
1981
|
273.2
|
10.3%
|
|
1982
|
290.0
|
6.1%
|
|
1983
|
299.3
|
3.2%
|
|
1984
|
312.2
|
4.3%
|
|
1985
|
323.2
|
3.5%
|
|
1986
|
329.4
|
1.9%
|
|
1987
|
341.4
|
3.7%
|
|
1988
|
355.4
|
4.1%
|
|
1989
|
372.5
|
4.8%
|
|
1990
|
392.6
|
5.4%
|
|
1991
|
409.3
|
4.2%
|
|
1992
|
421.7
|
3.0%
|
|
1993
|
434.1
|
3.0%
|
|
1994
|
445.4
|
2.6%
|
|
1995
|
457.9
|
2.8%
|
|
1996
|
471.3
|
2.9%
|
|
1997
|
482.4
|
2.3%
|
|
1998
|
489.8
|
1.6%
|
|
1999
|
500.6
|
2.2%
|
|
2000
|
517.5
|
3.4%
|
|
2001
|
532.1
|
2.8%
|
|
2002
|
540.5
|
1.6%
|
|
2003
|
552.8
|
2.3%
|
|
2004
|
567.6
|
2.7%
|
|
2005
|
586.9
|
3.4%
|
|
2006
|
605.8
|
3.2%
|
|
2007
|
623.1
|
2.9%
|
|
2008
|
647.0
|
3.8%
|
|
2009
|
644.7
|
-0.4%
|
|
2010
|
655.3
|
1.6%
|
|
2011
|
676.0
|
3.2%
|
|
2012
|
689.9
|
2.1%
|
|
2013
|
700.0
|
1.5%
|
|
2014
|
711.4
|
1.6%
|
|
2015
|
712.3
|
0.1%
|
|
2016
|
721.2
|
1.3%
|
|
2017
|
736.6
|
2.1%
|
|
2018
|
754.6
|
2.4%
|
|
2019*
|
768.3
|
1.8%
|
*An estimate for 2019 is based on the change in the CPI from second quarter 2017 to second quarter 2019.