Inflation Adjustment Calculator
Find what a past dollar amount is worth today using CPI data.
Adjust any amount between any two years to see the real purchasing power change over time.
Inflation adjustment converts a historical dollar amount into its equivalent value in a different year using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) โ revealing how the real purchasing power of money changes over time.
Core formula: Adjusted Value = Original Amount ร (CPI in Target Year รท CPI in Base Year)
Where:
- Original Amount = the dollar figure you want to adjust
- CPI in Target Year = the Consumer Price Index for the year you’re converting to
- CPI in Base Year = the Consumer Price Index for the year the original amount is from
- The US CPI base period is 1982โ1984 = 100
Historical US CPI values (annual averages):
| Year | CPI-U | Year | CPI-U |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1990 | 130.7 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 2000 | 172.2 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 2010 | 218.1 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 2020 | 258.8 |
| 1985 | 107.6 | 2023 | 304.7 |
| 1990 | 130.7 | 2024 | 314.2 |
Worked examples:
Example 1 โ What was $100 in 1970 worth in 2024? Adjusted = $100 ร (314.2 รท 38.8) = $100 ร 8.10 = $810 $100 bought in 1970 what costs $810 today.
Example 2 โ What is a $65,000 salary in 2010 worth in 2024? Adjusted = $65,000 ร (314.2 รท 218.1) = $65,000 ร 1.44 = $93,587 If your salary hasn’t grown by at least 44% since 2010, your real purchasing power has declined.
Limitation: The CPI measures an average basket of goods. Individual inflation rates vary dramatically โ healthcare and housing have inflated far faster than the CPI average, while electronics and appliances have deflated. The CPI-U is appropriate for general comparison but may not reflect your personal spending patterns.