1948 dollars in today's money
| In 1948 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $14.01 |
| $5.00 | $70.07 |
| $10.00 | $140.15 |
| $20.00 | $280.29 |
| $50.00 | $700.73 |
| $100.00 | $1,401 |
| $1,000 | $14,015 |
| $10,000 | $140,146 |
Inflation in 1948
Prices rose 7.7% in 1948 compared with 1947. 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 1948 was 24.042 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 14.01× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1948
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $7.14 bought in 1948.
1948 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 1949 | $14.15 | -1.0% |
| 1950 | $14.00 | 1.1% |
| 1951 | $12.98 | 7.9% |
| 1952 | $12.69 | 2.3% |
| 1953 | $12.59 | 0.8% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1948). 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.