Value of a Dollar in 1937

What money from 1937 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1937 is worth $23.43 in September 2026. Prices have risen 2,243% since 1937, an average of 3.60% a year.

$100 in 1937 has the same buying power as

$2,343

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
2,242.6%
Average per year
3.60%
$1 from 1937 buys
$0.04
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1937 in other years

1920$139
1930$116
1940$97.39
1950$167
1960$206
1970$270
1980$573
1990$908
2000$1,197
2010$1,516
2020$1,799
2025$2,238

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (CPIAUCNS via FRED), annual averages 1913–2025 and the latest month (Sep 2026).

1937 dollars in today's money

In 1937In September 2026
$1.00$23.43
$5.00$117.13
$10.00$234.26
$20.00$468.53
$50.00$1,171
$100.00$2,343
$1,000$23,426
$10,000$234,263

Inflation in 1937

Prices rose 3.7% in 1937 compared with 1936. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.

In the 1930s, the highest yearly rate was 3.7% in 1937 and the lowest was -10.3% in 1932.

The average Consumer Price Index in 1937 was 14.383 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 23.43× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1937

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $4.27 bought in 1937.

1937 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1932$24.70-10.3%
1933$26.05-5.2%
1934$25.183.5%
1935$24.552.6%
1936$24.301.0%
1938$23.91-2.0%
1939$24.23-1.3%
1940$24.050.7%
1941$22.885.1%
1942$20.6310.9%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1937). 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.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $1 from 1937 worth today?

$1 from 1937 has the same buying power as $23.43 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1937 worth today?

$100 in 1937 is worth about $2,343 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1937?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1937 was 3.7%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1937?

$100 today buys what $4.27 bought in 1937. Prices are up 2,243% in total, an average of 3.60% a year.

More free tools