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$100 in 1942 is worth $2,134 today

$100 in January 1942 had the same buying power as $2,134 in Aug 2026. Prices have risen 2034% since then. Change the amount or the months below.

US CPI data through Aug 2026, updated monthly. How we calculate
From
To

$100 in Jan 1942 is worth, in Aug 2026

$2,133.63

Prices rose 2033.6% in total, about 3.68% a year. Cash kept under the mattress since Jan 1942 now buys only 5% of what it used to.

2033.6%Total inflation
3.68%Average per year
5%Buying power left in cash
$0$1k$2k$3kJan 1942May 1953Sep 1964Jan 1976May 1987Sep 1998Jan 2010May 2021Aug 2026
Cost of what $100 bought in Jan 1942

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 $100 from 1942 is worth now

$2,134Same buying power today
2034%Price rise since 1942
3.7%Average inflation a year
4.7%Buying power left in cash

Prices in the US have risen 2034% since 1942, so it takes $2,134 today to buy what $100 bought then. Put the other way, $100 kept in cash since 1942 now buys only 4.7% of what it did.

That is an average of 3.7% a year over 85 years. Price controls held prices down during World War II, then prices jumped when they ended in 1946.

For contrast, $100 put into the S&P 500 in January 1942, with dividends reinvested, would be worth about $1,366,239 today, 640× what inflation alone requires. Cash loses buying power; invested money has historically outgrown it.

$100 from 1942 in later years
YearSame buying power
1942$100
1950$150
1960$187
1970$241
1980$496
1990$811
2000$1,075
2010$1,380
2020$1,643
Aug 2026$2,134

CPI in January of each year; the last row uses the latest month.

Other years

$1 in 1942$100 in 1942
$100 in 1920$100 in 1930$100 in 1938$100 in 1939$100 in 1940$100 in 1941$100 in 1943$100 in 1944$100 in 1945$100 in 1946$100 in 1950$100 in 1960$100 in 1970$100 in 1980$100 in 1990$100 in 2000$100 in 2010$100 in 2020

Common questions

How much is $100 from 1942 worth today?

About $2,134 in Aug 2026 dollars, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from January 1942.

How much have prices gone up since 1942?

2034% in total, or about 3.7% a year on average.

What would $100 in 1942 buy today?

It buys about 4.7% of what it bought in 1942. You would need $2,134 to buy the same things.

How is this calculated?

Today's value = $100 × (latest CPI ÷ CPI in January 1942). 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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