Inflation Time Machine

About this calculator

This calculator is a time machine for money. Enter a US dollar amount, choose the year it belonged to and the year you want to see it in, and it tells you the equivalent buying power — using the official Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Move a 1970 salary forward to today, or carry today's price tag back into the past.

How to read your results

The headline figure is your amount restated in the target year's dollars: it has the same buying power, just measured in money from a different era. "Total price change" is how much the overall price level moved between the two years, and "average inflation per year" is the compound annual rate that adds up to it. The chart traces your amount's value year by year across the span. Because this is a broad national index, treat it as a faithful guide to general price changes rather than the exact cost of any single item.

Worked example

A salary of $10,000 in 1970, viewed in 2025 dollars.

That $10,000 has the buying power of roughly $82,900 in 2025 — prices rose about 729% over the 55 years, or close to 3.9% a year on average. Put the other way, you would need about eight times as many dollars today to match what $10,000 bought in 1970.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the inflation data come from?

From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, using annual-average values with the standard 1982–84 = 100 base. The series begins in 1913. We retrieve it via the Federal Reserve's FRED database (series CPIAUCNS), which republishes the BLS figures.

Why does it only handle US dollars?

The CPI-U measures the prices US households pay, so it only describes the buying power of the US dollar. Each country has its own inflation history, so applying US CPI to euros, pounds or rupees would give a misleading answer. To keep results honest, this calculator is US-dollar only; a future version could add other countries' official indices.

Why can't I pick the current year?

We use annual-average CPI, which is only final once a complete year of monthly data exists. The current year is left out until its annual average is published, so the calculator always works from settled numbers rather than a partial, mid-year estimate.

Does this match my own experience of inflation?

Not always. CPI-U tracks a broad national basket, but your personal inflation depends on what you actually buy. Housing, healthcare and education have often risen faster than the overall index, while electronics and some goods have fallen. The result is an accurate measure of average prices, and a good general guide for your own money — but not a precise figure for any one purchase.

How it's calculated

An amount is moved between years by the ratio of the price index: adjusted = amount × (CPI in the target year ÷ CPI in the original year). The data is the CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers), US city average, all items, annual averages, base period 1982–84 = 100, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and covering 1913 onward; we retrieve it through the Federal Reserve's FRED database. The average annual inflation rate is the compound rate between the two years: (CPI_later ÷ CPI_earlier)^(1 ÷ years) − 1. The current, incomplete year is excluded until its annual average is final, so every result reflects a settled figure. This tool models US dollars only — the CPI-U measures US prices and does not describe inflation for other currencies.