Source:
Handbook of Labor Statistics
U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Indexes from 1800 to 1912 and 2021 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 2020 - Consumer Price Index;
- 2021 - An estimate for 2021 is based on the change in the CPI from first quarter 2020 to first quarter 2021.
To calculate the change in prices, use the formula from the example below:
What is $1 in 1850 worth in 2021?
2021 Price = 1850 Price x (2021 CPI / 1850 CPI)
2021 Price = $1 x (792.5 / 25)
2021 Price = $31.70
$1 in 1850 is worth $31.70 in 2021.
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%
|
|
2020
|
777.7
|
1.2%
|
|
2021*
|
792.5
|
1.9%
|
*An estimate for 2021 is based on the change in the CPI from first quarter 2020 to first quarter 2021.