U.S. inflation · 1948–1957
$100 in 1948 has the same buying power as
$117
in 1957
| Cumulative price change | 16.6% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 1.72% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $117 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $16.60 |
| CPI in 1948 | 24.1 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| Inflation in 1948 | 8.07% |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| $100 in 1948 → 1957 | $117 |
| $100 in 1957 → 1948 | $85.77 |
Between 1948 and 1957, the Consumer Price Index went from 24.1 to 28.1. Cumulatively, prices increased 16.6%, which works out to an average of 1.72% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1948 bought what $0.86 buys in 1957.
| Amount in 1948 | Value in 1957 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.17 |
| $5.00 | $5.83 |
| $10.00 | $11.66 |
| $20.00 | $23.32 |
| $50.00 | $58.30 |
| $100 | $117 |
| $500 | $583 |
| $1,000 | $1,166 |
| $5,000 | $5,830 |
| $10,000 | $11,660 |
| $100,000 | $116,598 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,165,975 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1948 spending costs in 1957, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1948 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 1.72% | $117 |
| Medical care | 3.54% | $137 |
| Transportation | 3.35% | $134 |
| Food | 1.14% | $111 |
| Apparel | 0.51% | $105 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1948: core (all items less food & energy) (1957–), energy (1957–), housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 24.1 | 8.1% | $100 |
| 1949 | 23.8 | -1.2% | $98.76 |
| 1950 | 24.1 | 1.3% | $100 |
| 1951 | 26 | 7.9% | $108 |
| 1952 | 26.5 | 1.9% | $110 |
| 1953 | 26.7 | 0.8% | $111 |
| 1954 | 26.9 | 0.7% | $112 |
| 1955 | 26.8 | -0.4% | $111 |
| 1956 | 27.2 | 1.5% | $113 |
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $117 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1948 to 1957: $100 is worth $117 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1948-to-1957/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1948 to 1957. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1948-to-1957/
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0; category indexes listed on the data sources page). See how these numbers are calculated.