1942 dollars in today's money
| In 1942 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $20.63 |
| $5.00 | $103.15 |
| $10.00 | $206.29 |
| $20.00 | $412.59 |
| $50.00 | $1,031 |
| $100.00 | $2,063 |
| $1,000 | $20,629 |
| $10,000 | $206,294 |
Inflation in 1942
Prices rose 10.9% in 1942 compared with 1941. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1940s, the highest yearly rate was 14.4% in 1947 and the lowest was -1.0% in 1949.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1942 was 16.333 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 20.63× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1942
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $4.85 bought in 1942.
1942 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | $23.43 | 3.7% |
| 1938 | $23.91 | -2.0% |
| 1939 | $24.23 | -1.3% |
| 1940 | $24.05 | 0.7% |
| 1941 | $22.88 | 5.1% |
| 1943 | $19.47 | 6.0% |
| 1944 | $19.15 | 1.6% |
| 1945 | $18.73 | 2.3% |
| 1946 | $17.26 | 8.5% |
| 1947 | $15.09 | 14.4% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1942). 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.