1997 dollars in today's money
| In 1997 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $2.10 |
| $5.00 | $10.50 |
| $10.00 | $20.99 |
| $20.00 | $41.98 |
| $50.00 | $104.95 |
| $100.00 | $209.91 |
| $1,000 | $2,099 |
| $10,000 | $20,991 |
Inflation in 1997
Prices rose 2.3% in 1997 compared with 1996. That is below the long-run average of 3.2% a year since 1913.
In the 1990s, the highest yearly rate was 5.4% in 1990 and the lowest was 1.6% in 1998.
The average Consumer Price Index in 1997 was 160.517 (1982–84 = 100). Today's index is 336.940, which is where the multiplier of 2.10× comes from.
Buying power: today's money in 1997
Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $47.64 bought in 1997.
1997 compared with nearby years
| Year | $1 is worth today | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | $2.40 | 3.0% |
| 1993 | $2.33 | 3.0% |
| 1994 | $2.27 | 2.6% |
| 1995 | $2.21 | 2.8% |
| 1996 | $2.15 | 2.9% |
| 1998 | $2.07 | 1.6% |
| 1999 | $2.02 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | $1.96 | 3.4% |
| 2001 | $1.90 | 2.8% |
| 2002 | $1.87 | 1.6% |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (CPI in September 2026 ÷ average CPI in 1997). 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.