U.S. inflation · 1957–1970
$100 in 1957 has the same buying power as
$138
in 1970
| Cumulative price change | 38.1% |
|---|---|
| Average inflation rate | 2.51% per year |
| Converted amount ($100 base) | $138 |
| Price difference ($100 base) | $38.08 |
| CPI in 1957 | 28.1 |
| CPI in 1970 | 38.8 |
| Inflation in 1957 | 3.31% |
| Inflation in 1970 | 5.72% |
| $100 in 1957 → 1970 | $138 |
| $100 in 1970 → 1957 | $72.42 |
Between 1957 and 1970, the Consumer Price Index went from 28.1 to 38.8. Cumulatively, prices increased 38.1%, which works out to an average of 2.51% per year. Put differently, a dollar in 1957 bought what $0.72 buys in 1970.
| Amount in 1957 | Value in 1970 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.38 |
| $5.00 | $6.90 |
| $10.00 | $13.81 |
| $20.00 | $27.62 |
| $50.00 | $69.04 |
| $100 | $138 |
| $500 | $690 |
| $1,000 | $1,381 |
| $5,000 | $6,904 |
| $10,000 | $13,808 |
| $100,000 | $138,078 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,380,783 |
The headline number is an average. Individual categories moved very differently over this period. Here is what $100 of 1957 spending costs in 1970, by category:
| Category | Avg. yearly inflation | $100 in 1957 → |
|---|---|---|
| All items (CPI-U) | 2.51% | $138 |
| Medical care | 4.29% | $173 |
| Core (all items less food & energy) | 2.69% | $141 |
| Food | 2.37% | $136 |
| Transportation | 2.36% | $135 |
| Apparel | 2.22% | $133 |
| Energy | 1.32% | $119 |
Not shown because the BLS began these indexes after 1957: housing (1967–), recreation (1993–), education & communication (1993–).
| Year | CPI | Inflation rate | $100 from 1957 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 28.1 | 3.3% | $100 |
| 1958 | 28.9 | 2.8% | $103 |
| 1959 | 29.1 | 0.7% | $104 |
| 1960 | 29.6 | 1.7% | $105 |
| 1961 | 29.9 | 1.0% | $106 |
| 1962 | 30.2 | 1.0% | $107 |
| 1963 | 30.6 | 1.3% | $109 |
| 1964 | 31 | 1.3% | $110 |
| 1965 | 31.5 | 1.6% | $112 |
| 1966 | 32.4 | 2.9% | $115 |
| 1967 | 33.4 | 3.1% | $119 |
| 1968 | 34.8 | 4.2% | $124 |
| 1969 | 36.7 | 5.5% | $131 |
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $138 |
MLA: “Inflation from 1957 to 1970: $100 is worth $138 today.” InflationCalculator.com, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data, https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1970/
APA: InflationCalculator.com. Inflation from 1957 to 1970. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U data. Retrieved from https://inflationcalculator.com/inflation/1957-to-1970/
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.