$1 in 1938 is worth $23.59 today
A dollar in January 1938 had the same buying power as $23.59 in Aug 2026. Prices have risen 2259% since then. Change the amount or the months below.
US CPI data through Aug 2026, updated monthly. How we calculate$1 in Jan 1938 is worth, in Aug 2026
Prices rose 2259.0% in total, about 3.63% a year. Cash kept under the mattress since Jan 1938 now buys only 4% of what it used to.
US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, all items, not seasonally adjusted), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data through Aug 2026. Oct 2025 was not published and is estimated from the months around it.
What $1 from 1938 is worth now
Prices in the US have risen 2259% since 1938, so it takes $23.59 today to buy what $1 bought then. Put the other way, $1 kept in cash since 1938 now buys only 4.2% of what it did.
That is an average of 3.6% a year over 89 years. Price controls held prices down during World War II, then prices jumped when they ended in 1946.
For contrast, $1 put into the S&P 500 in January 1938, with dividends reinvested, would be worth about $13,681 today, 580× what inflation alone requires. Cash loses buying power; invested money has historically outgrown it.
| Year | Same buying power |
|---|---|
| 1938 | $1.00 |
| 1940 | $0.98 |
| 1950 | $1.65 |
| 1960 | $2.06 |
| 1970 | $2.66 |
| 1980 | $5.48 |
| 1990 | $8.97 |
| 2000 | $11.89 |
| 2010 | $15.26 |
| 2020 | $18.17 |
| Aug 2026 | $23.59 |
CPI in January of each year; the last row uses the latest month.
Other years
Common questions
How much is $1 from 1938 worth today?
About $23.59 in Aug 2026 dollars, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from January 1938.
How much have prices gone up since 1938?
2259% in total, or about 3.6% a year on average.
What would $1 in 1938 buy today?
It buys about 4.2% of what it bought in 1938. You would need $23.59 to buy the same things.
How is this calculated?
Today's value = $1 × (latest CPI ÷ CPI in January 1938). CPI is the Bureau of Labor Statistics measure of the prices US households pay.
Based on the US Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), all items, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Individual prices, such as homes, college or healthcare, rose faster or slower than the average.
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