U.S. Economy & Cost of Living by Year (1950-2025)
Select any year below to inspect what a house, a gallon of gas, the federal minimum wage, FHFA mortgage origination rates (since 1998), CPI inflation, unemployment, and `$100` in purchasing power looked like in that exact year compared with 2025.
| Year | CPI Inflation | $100 in 2025 USD | Unemployment | Real GDP YoY | Median Home Price | FHFA Mortgage Rate | Min Wage | Debt / GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.63% | $100.00 | 4.3% | 2.34% | $415,400 | 6.3% | $7.25 | 120.7% |
| 2024 | 2.95% | $103.00 | 4.0% | 2.95% | $418,975 | 6.4% | $7.25 | 120.4% |
| 2023 | 4.12% | $106.00 | 3.6% | 2.92% | $426,525 | 6.5% | $7.25 | 117.7% |
| 2022 | 8.00% | $110.00 | 3.6% | 2.43% | $432,950 | 4.7% | $7.25 | 118.4% |
| 2021 | 4.70% | $119.00 | 5.3% | 6.27% | $383,000 | 3.0% | $7.25 | 120.9% |
| 2020 | 1.23% | $124.00 | 8.1% | -2.08% | $328,150 | 3.2% | $7.25 | 122.3% |
| 2019 | 1.81% | $126.00 | 3.7% | 2.58% | $320,250 | 4.2% | $7.25 | 104.4% |
| 2018 | 2.44% | $128.00 | 3.9% | 2.97% | $325,275 | 4.7% | $7.25 | 103.8% |
| 2017 | 2.13% | $131.00 | 4.4% | 2.46% | $322,425 | 4.2% | $7.25 | 102.5% |
| 2016 | 1.26% | $134.00 | 4.9% | 1.82% | $305,125 | 3.8% | $7.25 | 104.0% |
| 2015 | 0.12% | $136.00 | 5.3% | 2.95% | $294,150 | 4.0% | $7.25 | 100.3% |
| 2014 | 1.62% | $136.00 | 6.2% | 2.52% | $285,775 | 4.3% | $7.25 | 101.1% |
| 2013 | 1.46% | $138.00 | 7.4% | 2.12% | $266,225 | 3.9% | $7.25 | 99.8% |
| 2012 | 2.07% | $140.00 | 8.1% | 2.29% | $244,400 | 3.8% | $7.25 | 98.4% |
| 2011 | 3.16% | $143.00 | 8.9% | 1.56% | $224,900 | 4.4% | $7.25 | 93.9% |
| 2010 | 1.64% | $148.00 | 9.6% | 2.70% | $222,700 | 4.7% | $7.25 | 89.0% |
| 2009 | -0.36% | $150.00 | 9.3% | -2.58% | $215,650 | 5.1% | $7.25 | 81.0% |
| 2008 | 3.84% | $150.00 | 5.8% | 0.11% | $229,550 | 6.2% | $6.55 | 67.1% |
| 2007 | 2.85% | $155.00 | 4.6% | 2.00% | $244,950 | 6.9% | $5.85 | 62.1% |
| 2006 | 3.23% | $160.00 | 4.6% | 2.78% | $243,750 | 7.1% | $5.15 | 61.5% |
| 2005 | 3.39% | $165.00 | 5.1% | 3.48% | $236,550 | 6.4% | $5.15 | 60.8% |
| 2004 | 2.68% | $170.00 | 5.5% | 3.85% | $218,150 | 6.0% | $5.15 | 60.1% |
| 2003 | 2.27% | $175.00 | 6.0% | 2.80% | $192,125 | 5.7% | $5.15 | 58.7% |
| 2002 | 1.59% | $179.00 | 5.8% | 1.70% | $186,025 | 6.5% | $5.15 | 56.6% |
| 2001 | 2.83% | $182.00 | 4.7% | 0.96% | $173,100 | 7.1% | $5.15 | 54.9% |
| 2000 | 3.38% | $187.00 | 4.0% | 4.08% | $167,550 | 8.4% | $5.15 | 55.6% |
| 1999 | 2.19% | $193.00 | 4.2% | 4.79% | $160,125 | 7.5% | $5.15 | 59.0% |
| 1998 | 1.55% | $198.00 | 4.5% | 4.48% | $151,925 | 7.1% | $5.15 | 61.3% |
| 1997 | 2.34% | $201.00 | 4.9% | 4.45% | $145,000 | - | $5.15 | 63.2% |
| 1996 | 2.93% | $205.00 | 5.4% | 3.77% | $140,250 | - | $4.75 | 64.5% |
| 1995 | 2.81% | $211.00 | 5.6% | 2.68% | $133,475 | - | $4.25 | 64.7% |
| 1994 | 2.61% | $217.00 | 6.1% | 4.03% | $130,425 | - | $4.25 | 64.2% |
| 1993 | 2.95% | $223.00 | 6.9% | 2.75% | $126,500 | - | $4.25 | 63.9% |
| 1992 | 3.03% | $229.00 | 7.5% | 3.52% | $121,375 | - | $4.25 | 61.7% |
| 1991 | 4.23% | $236.00 | 6.8% | -0.11% | $119,975 | - | $4.25 | 58.7% |
| 1990 | 5.40% | $246.00 | 5.6% | 1.89% | $122,300 | - | $3.80 | 53.6% |
| 1989 | 4.83% | $260.00 | 5.3% | 3.67% | $120,425 | - | $3.35 | 50.3% |
| 1988 | 4.08% | $272.00 | 5.5% | 4.18% | $112,225 | - | $3.35 | 49.3% |
| 1987 | 3.66% | $283.00 | 6.2% | 3.45% | $104,700 | - | $3.35 | 48.1% |
| 1986 | 1.90% | $294.00 | 7.0% | 3.46% | $92,025 | - | $3.35 | 45.8% |
| 1985 | 3.55% | $299.00 | 7.2% | 4.17% | $84,275 | - | $3.35 | 41.8% |
| 1984 | 4.30% | $310.00 | 7.5% | 7.24% | $79,950 | - | $3.35 | 38.4% |
| 1983 | 3.21% | $323.00 | 9.6% | 4.58% | $75,375 | - | $3.35 | 36.8% |
| 1982 | 6.13% | $334.00 | 9.7% | -1.80% | $69,225 | - | $3.35 | 33.5% |
| 1981 | 10.33% | $354.00 | 7.6% | 2.54% | $68,950 | - | $3.35 | 30.9% |
| 1980 | 13.55% | $391.00 | 7.2% | -0.26% | $64,750 | - | $3.10 | 31.3% |
| 1979 | 11.25% | $444.00 | 5.8% | 3.17% | $62,750 | - | $2.90 | 31.2% |
| 1978 | 7.63% | $494.00 | 6.1% | 5.54% | $55,850 | - | $2.65 | 32.4% |
| 1977 | 6.50% | $531.00 | 7.0% | 4.62% | $48,900 | - | $2.30 | 33.2% |
| 1976 | 5.74% | $566.00 | 7.7% | 5.39% | $44,225 | - | $2.30 | 33.5% |
| 1975 | 9.14% | $598.00 | 8.5% | -0.21% | $39,275 | - | $2.10 | 32.2% |
| 1974 | 11.05% | $653.00 | 5.6% | -0.54% | $36,050 | - | $2.00 | 31.1% |
| 1973 | 6.18% | $725.00 | 4.9% | 5.65% | $32,600 | - | $1.60 | 32.4% |
| 1972 | 3.27% | $770.00 | 5.6% | 5.26% | $27,525 | - | $1.60 | 33.9% |
| 1971 | 4.29% | $795.00 | 6.0% | 3.29% | $25,225 | - | $1.60 | 34.9% |
| 1970 | 5.84% | $829.00 | 5.0% | 0.18% | $23,475 | - | $1.60 | 35.2% |
| 1969 | 5.46% | $878.00 | 3.5% | 3.12% | $25,600 | - | $1.60 | 35.4% |
| 1968 | 4.27% | $926.00 | 3.6% | 4.91% | $24,800 | - | $1.60 | 37.4% |
| 1967 | 2.77% | $965.00 | 3.8% | 2.74% | $22,750 | - | $1.40 | 38.8% |
| 1966 | 3.02% | $992.00 | 3.8% | 6.60% | $21,500 | - | $1.25 | 39.7% |
| 1965 | 1.59% | $1,022.00 | 4.5% | 6.50% | $20,125 | - | $1.25 | - |
| 1964 | 1.28% | $1,038.00 | 5.2% | 5.76% | $18,925 | - | $1.25 | - |
| 1963 | 1.24% | $1,051.00 | 5.6% | 4.36% | $18,050 | - | $1.25 | - |
| 1962 | 1.20% | $1,064.00 | 5.6% | 6.13% | - | - | $1.15 | - |
| 1961 | 1.07% | $1,077.00 | 6.7% | 2.57% | - | - | $1.15 | - |
| 1960 | 1.46% | $1,089.00 | 5.5% | 2.57% | - | - | $1.00 | - |
| 1959 | 1.01% | $1,104.00 | 5.5% | 6.93% | - | - | $1.00 | - |
| 1958 | 2.73% | $1,116.00 | 6.8% | -0.74% | - | - | $1.00 | - |
| 1957 | 3.34% | $1,146.00 | 4.3% | 2.11% | - | - | $1.00 | - |
| 1956 | 1.53% | $1,184.00 | 4.1% | 2.13% | - | - | $1.00 | - |
| 1955 | -0.28% | $1,202.00 | 4.4% | 7.13% | - | - | $0.75 | - |
| 1954 | 0.31% | $1,199.00 | 5.6% | -0.58% | - | - | $0.75 | - |
| 1953 | 0.82% | $1,203.00 | 2.9% | 4.69% | - | - | $0.75 | - |
| 1952 | 2.28% | $1,213.00 | 3.0% | 4.08% | - | - | $0.75 | - |
| 1951 | 7.86% | $1,240.00 | 3.3% | 8.04% | - | - | $0.75 | - |
| 1950 | 1.09% | $1,338.00 | 5.2% | 8.69% | - | - | $0.75 | - |