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Guess first: What does $100 from the year 2000 equal in September 2026 dollars?
The answer: $196.
Source: Our calculation from BLS CPI-U data, Sep 2026
How the inflation calculator works
Pick a starting year and an amount, and the calculator shows what that money equals in later dollars. It uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The index is set so that 1982 to 1984 equals 100.
The math is one line:
Value today = amount x (CPI today / CPI in the starting year)
For the starting year we use that year’s annual average. For “today” we use the latest month BLS has published, September 2026, when the index was 336.940. So $100 from 2000, when the annual average was 172.2, works out to $100 x 336.940 / 172.2 = about $195.67 (our calculation).
The BLS annual averages in the calculator run from 1913 through 2025, plus the latest monthly index.
What a dollar from past years is worth today
| Year | Annual average CPI-U | $100 then equals in Sep 2026 | Price rise since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 9.9 | $3,403 | 3,303% |
| 1950 | 24.1 | $1,398 | 1,298% |
| 1960 | 29.6 | $1,138 | 1,038% |
| 1970 | 38.8 | $868 | 768% |
| 1980 | 82.4 | $409 | 309% |
| 1990 | 130.7 | $258 | 158% |
| 2000 | 172.2 | $196 | 96% |
| 2010 | 218.056 | $155 | 55% |
| 2015 | 237.017 | $142 | 42% |
| 2020 | 258.811 | $130 | 30% |
| 2025 | 321.943 | $105 | 5% |
Source: BLS CPI-U annual averages and the September 2026 index (336.940); dollar values are our calculation.
Over long stretches, the yearly pace looks modest. From 2000 to 2025, prices rose about 2.5% a year on average, and from 1913 to 2025 about 3.2% a year (our calculation). Small yearly increases add up: a dollar from 2000 now buys about half as much.
Recent inflation, year by year
| Year | Annual average CPI-U | Change from prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% |
Source: BLS CPI-U annual averages; percent changes are our calculation.
In the latest release, prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2026. Core prices (excluding food and energy) rose 2.6%, food 2.5%, shelter 3.2% and energy 20.4%, per BLS. October 2025 has no index because BLS did not collect data during the 2025 lapse in appropriations; the 2025 average uses the other eleven months.
What the CPI does and does not measure
BLS describes the CPI as the average change over time in the prices consumers pay for a basket of goods and services, across eight major groups such as food, housing, transportation and medical care. Data collectors record about 80,000 item prices each month from stores, service providers, rental units and doctors’ offices.
A few limits are worth knowing:
- It is an average. The CPI-U covers over 90% of the population, but your own basket may differ. If rent or energy is a big share of your spending, your personal inflation rate can be higher or lower.
- It is not a full cost-of-living index. BLS calls it a “conditional” one, since it does not measure things like safety or environmental conditions.
- It does not compare places. The CPI tracks change over time within an area, not which city is cheaper. For regional prices, see our cost index.
- Other measures exist. The Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation goal is based on the PCE price index, not the CPI. Social Security’s COLA uses the CPI-W, the index for wage earners, and the 2027 COLA is 3.6%, per SSA.
- 1970$868
- 1980$409
- 1990$258
- 2000$196
- 2010$155
- 2020$130
- 2025$105
Source: Our calculation from BLS CPI-U annual averages and the Sep 2026 index (336.940)
Example: did a 2015 salary keep up?
Say you earned $50,000 in 2015 and want to know what that pay equals today.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2015 annual average CPI-U | 237.017 |
| September 2026 CPI-U | 336.940 |
| Ratio (336.940 / 237.017) | 1.4216 |
| $50,000 in September 2026 dollars | About $71,079 |
Source: our calculation from BLS CPI-U data.
To have the same buying power, the salary would need to be about $71,079 now. A salary of $60,000 in 2020 would need to be about $78,113 (our calculation). The same check works for savings: money earning less than the inflation rate loses buying power, which is why we compare rates in CD vs high-yield savings and track progress in average savings by age.
What people actually report
- 91% of adults cited price increases as a major or minor concern in the Federal Reserve’s survey of 2025, and the share calling it a major concern fell to 53% from 56% in 2024.
- 73% of adults said they were doing at least okay financially in 2025, below the 2021 high of 78%, per the same Fed survey.
- In the New York Fed’s September 2026 Survey of Consumer Expectations, the median household expected 3.9% inflation over the next year and 3.0% over five years.
Tips for using inflation numbers
- Compare like with like. Before calling something expensive, convert the old price into today’s dollars. Our average grocery bill guide shows how food budgets have moved.
- Check your raise. A raise below the 12-month CPI change is a pay cut in real terms.
- Update budgets once a year. Fixed lines in a budget slowly fall behind if you never adjust them.
This calculator uses official BLS data and is for general information, not financial advice.
See how we research every number on our method page, browse more saving and investing guides, or try all our calculators.
Using inflation numbers in your own plans
0 of 6 doneAll done. You are ready to get quotes with confidence.
Questions people ask
How does an inflation calculator work?
It multiplies your amount by the ratio of two Consumer Price Index values: the CPI for the later date divided by the CPI for the earlier year. For example, $100 x 336.940 (Sep 2026) / 172.2 (2000 average) = $195.67 (our calculation from BLS data).
Source: BLS, our calculationWhat is $100 in 2000 worth today?
About $195.67 in September 2026 dollars, based on the BLS CPI-U (our calculation). Put the other way, $100 today buys what about $51.11 bought in 2000.
Source: BLS, our calculationWhat is $1 in 1950 worth today?
About $13.98 in September 2026 dollars (our calculation: 336.940 / 24.1, the 1950 annual average CPI-U from BLS). $100 from 1950 is worth about $1,398.
Source: BLS, our calculationWhat is $100 in 1970 worth today?
About $868 in September 2026 dollars, using the 1970 annual average CPI of 38.8 and September 2026's 336.940 from BLS (our calculation). Prices have risen about 768% since then.
Source: BLS, our calculationHow much have prices gone up since 2020?
About 30.2% from the 2020 annual average to September 2026, according to our calculation from BLS CPI-U data. Something that cost $100 on average in 2020 costs about $130.19 now.
Source: BLS, our calculationWhat is the current inflation rate?
Consumer prices rose 3.7% in the 12 months ending September 2026, per BLS. Core prices, which leave out food and energy, rose 2.6%. BLS plans to release October data on November 10, 2026.
Source: BLSWhat is the CPI?
The Consumer Price Index is the BLS measure of the average change over time in the prices consumers pay for a basket of goods and services. BLS records prices for about 80,000 items each month, and the CPI-U covers over 90% of the U.S. population.
Source: BLSWhat is the difference between CPI-U and CPI-W?
CPI-U covers all urban consumers, over 90% of the population, while CPI-W covers urban wage earners and clerical workers, about 30%, per BLS. This calculator uses CPI-U. Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment uses CPI-W.
Source: BLS, SSAWhy is the October 2025 CPI missing?
BLS did not collect October 2025 data during the 2025 lapse in appropriations, and its tables mark the month as unavailable. The 2025 annual average of 321.943 is built from the other eleven months.
Source: BLSWhat year had the highest inflation?
Using BLS annual averages, 1918 had the biggest jump at about 18.0%, and 1917 was close behind at 17.4% (our calculation). The largest drop was 1921, when prices fell about 10.5%. In recent decades, the peak was 8.0% in 2022 (our calculation).
Source: BLS, our calculationWhat inflation rate does the Federal Reserve aim for?
2% over the longer run, measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rather than the CPI, according to the Federal Reserve.
Source: Federal ReserveHow much is the Social Security COLA for 2027?
3.6%, starting with December 2026 benefits paid in January 2027, per the Social Security Administration. It compares the average CPI-W for July to September 2026 (328.746) with the same months of 2025 (317.265).
Source: SSASources
Every number above comes from these pages. We list the date each page showed when we checked it.
- BLS, Consumer Price Index Historical Tables for U.S. City Average (CPI-U, 1982-84=100)
- BLS, Historical CPI-U table (annual averages 1913 to 2020)
- BLS, Consumer Price Index Overview Table, Southwest (2025 annual average)
- BLS, Consumer Price Index News Release, September 2026
- BLS, Consumer Price Index Frequently Asked Questions
- Social Security Administration, Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment
- Federal Reserve, Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run?
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Survey of Consumer Expectations
- Federal Reserve, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (press release)
For general information only, not financial advice. Rates and rules change, so check with your bank or a licensed advisor before you decide.
- Passed Level II of the CFA® Program
- Canadian Securities Course (CSC)
- Conduct and Practices Handbook (CPH)
Sepehr Parsa is a financial planner and the founder and editor of DollarMap. He has passed Level II of the CFA Program and completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC) and the Conduct and Practices Handbook (CPH) course. He writes and edits our guides on cars, home repairs, budgeting, saving and investing, and checks that every number has a source.
“In a slowing economy, a budget is what keeps you afloat.”
