1982 dollars in today's money
| In 1982 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $3.49 |
| $5.00 | $17.46 |
| $10.00 | $34.92 |
| $20.00 | $69.83 |
| $50.00 | $174.58 |
| $100.00 | $349.16 |
| $1,000 | $3,492 |
| $10,000 | $34,916 |
Inflation in 1982
Prices rose 6.1% in 1982 compared with 1981. That is above the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1980s, the highest yearly rate was 13.5% in 1980 and the lowest was 1.9% in 1986.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1982 was 96.500 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 3.49× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1982
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $28.64 bought in 1982.
1982 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | $5.56 | 6.5% |
| 1978 | $5.17 | 7.6% |
| 1979 | $4.64 | 11.3% |
| 1980 | $4.09 | 13.5% |
| 1981 | $3.71 | 10.3% |
| 1983 | $3.38 | 3.2% |
| 1984 | $3.24 | 4.3% |
| 1985 | $3.13 | 3.5% |
| 1986 | $3.07 | 1.9% |
| 1987 | $2.97 | 3.7% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1982). 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.