DATA, CALCULATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Methodology & editorial policy — United States

Name: Price data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPI-U
Creator: Money Replay

Enter an old dollar amount and year to get a quick comparison in today’s money, then use the guides for wages, the 1970s and the Great Depression.

Price comparisons use annual data through 2025. Only optional currency conversions use a recent exchange rate.

2026-08-15

Who publishes Money Replay

Money Replay is an independent educational website. It is not a bank, government agency, financial adviser, appraiser, or affiliate of the listed data providers.

See what an old dollar amount would be worth today.

Calculation: input amount × (2025 index ÷ selected-year index)

present value = input amount × (100 ÷ selected-year index)

Choose the year and amountEnter the year printed on the receipt, wage record, advertisement, or story and the dollar amount you want to understand.
See the amount in today’s moneyThe calculator compares everyday US prices then with prices today and gives you an easy-to-read estimate.
Read the result in contextTreat the result as an estimate based on average consumer prices, then check the relevant guide if the amount is a wage, a Depression-era price, or a 1970s figure.

Price data

Use these official pages when you want to check a date, a wage rate or the history behind one of the guides.

Price data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPI-U
Reference year: 2025
annual average: 1913–2025

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · CPI-U ↗

Check the estimate against the source

CPI Inflation CalculatorBureau of Labor Statistics calculator using the average CPI for a selected calendar year.
Consumer Price Index databasesBLS tables for national, regional, local and detailed consumer-price figures.
How to compare dollars from different yearsBLS explains how consumer-price figures show the amount needed in another year to buy a similar mix of goods and services.
Federal minimum wage historyUS Department of Labor statutory rates and the changing coverage of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Great InflationFederal Reserve History account of the 1965–1982 period and the 1971 break with gold convertibility.

Updates and corrections

Calculations are updated when an official annual series changes or when an error is confirmed. A modified date changes only after a substantive change; sources, coverage and limitations remain visible.

US DOLLAR FAQ

What this dollar estimate does—and does not—answer

How do you calculate what a past dollar amount is worth today?

The calculator compares average consumer prices in the selected year with prices today. It shows roughly what the old amount would buy now; it does not calculate investment growth.

Why does the official US range begin in 1913?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI begins in 1913. Earlier estimates were reconstructed by historians and are not official BLS CPI figures, so this calculator does not label them as such.

Will a house, college tuition, or gasoline match the CPI result?

Usually not exactly. The all-items CPI represents a changing consumer basket. Housing, tuition, medical care, gasoline, and other categories can rise faster or slower than the national average.

Is this a historical exchange-rate calculator?

No. The main result compares US prices over time. If you choose another currency, it changes today’s dollar amount using today’s exchange rate; it does not use the exchange rate from the old year.