1928 dollars in today's money
| In 1928 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $19.64 |
| $5.00 | $98.19 |
| $10.00 | $196.37 |
| $20.00 | $392.75 |
| $50.00 | $981.87 |
| $100.00 | $1,964 |
| $1,000 | $19,637 |
| $10,000 | $196,375 |
Inflation in 1928
Prices rose -1.2% in 1928 compared with 1927, which means prices actually fell (deflation). That is below the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1920s, the highest yearly rate was 15.6% in 1920 and the lowest was -10.9% in 1921.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1928 was 17.158 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 19.64× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1928
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $5.09 bought in 1928.
1928 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1923 | $19.76 | 1.8% |
| 1924 | $19.68 | 0.4% |
| 1925 | $19.21 | 2.4% |
| 1926 | $19.04 | 0.9% |
| 1927 | $19.41 | -1.9% |
| 1929 | $19.64 | 0.0% |
| 1930 | $20.18 | -2.7% |
| 1931 | $22.16 | -8.9% |
| 1932 | $24.70 | -10.3% |
| 1933 | $26.05 | -5.2% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1928). The data is the CPI-U, all items, not seasonally adjusted, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Use the calculator above to convert between any two years.