Value of a Dollar in 1950

What money from 1950 is worth today, using the official US Consumer Price Index.

Updated September 15, 2026

$1 in 1950 is worth $14.00 in September 2026. Prices have risen 1,300% since 1950, an average of 3.52% a year.

$100 in 1950 has the same buying power as

$1,400

in Sep 2026.

Cumulative inflation
1,300.0%
Average per year
3.52%
$1 from 1950 buys
$0.07
of goods in Sep 2026

$100 from 1950 in other years

1920$83.28
1930$69.39
1940$58.20
1950$100.00
1960$123
1970$161
1980$342
1990$543
2000$716
2010$906
2020$1,075
2025$1,338

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

1950 dollars in today's money

In 1950In September 2026
$1.00$14.00
$5.00$70.00
$10.00$140.00
$20.00$280.00
$50.00$700.00
$100.00$1,400
$1,000$14,000
$10,000$140,001

Inflation in 1950

Prices rose 1.1% in 1950 compared with 1949. That is below the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.

In the 1950s, the highest yearly rate was 7.9% in 1951 and the lowest was -0.3% in 1955.

The average Consumer Price Index in 1950 was 24.067 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 14.00× comes from.

Buying power: today's money in 1950

Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $7.14 bought in 1950.

1950 compared with nearby years

Year$1 is worth todayInflation that year
1945$18.732.3%
1946$17.268.5%
1947$15.0914.4%
1948$14.017.7%
1949$14.15-1.0%
1951$12.987.9%
1952$12.692.3%
1953$12.590.8%
1954$12.550.3%
1955$12.58-0.3%

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1950). 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 1950 worth today?

$1 from 1950 has the same buying power as $14.00 in September 2026, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

How much is $100 from 1950 worth today?

$100 in 1950 is worth about $1,400 in September 2026.

What was the inflation rate in 1950?

The annual-average inflation rate in 1950 was 1.1%.

How much has the dollar lost since 1950?

$100 today buys what $7.14 bought in 1950. Prices are up 1,300% in total, an average of 3.52% a year.

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