$100 in 2002 is worth $189 today
$100 in January 2002 had the same buying power as $189 in Aug 2026. Prices have risen 89% since then. Change the amount or the months below.
US CPI data through Aug 2026, updated monthly. How we calculate$100 in Jan 2002 is worth, in Aug 2026
Prices rose 89.1% in total, about 2.63% a year. Cash kept under the mattress since Jan 2002 now buys only 53% 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 $100 from 2002 is worth now
Prices in the US have risen 89% since 2002, so it takes $189 today to buy what $100 bought then. Put the other way, $100 kept in cash since 2002 now buys only 53% of what it did.
That is an average of 2.6% a year over 25 years. Inflation was mostly moderate, around 2% to 3% a year, until the jump of 2021 and 2022.
For contrast, $100 put into the S&P 500 in January 2002, with dividends reinvested, would be worth about $1,051 today, 5.6× what inflation alone requires. Cash loses buying power; invested money has historically outgrown it.
| Year | Same buying power |
|---|---|
| 2002 | $100 |
| 2010 | $122 |
| 2020 | $146 |
| Aug 2026 | $189 |
CPI in January of each year; the last row uses the latest month.
Other years
Common questions
How much is $100 from 2002 worth today?
About $189 in Aug 2026 dollars, based on the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from January 2002.
How much have prices gone up since 2002?
89% in total, or about 2.6% a year on average.
What would $100 in 2002 buy today?
It buys about 53% of what it bought in 2002. You would need $189 to buy the same things.
How is this calculated?
Today's value = $100 × (latest CPI ÷ CPI in January 2002). 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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