$100 in 1942 → Today
Official data verified · U.S. CPI-U · Annual average · NSA · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Series CUUR0000SA0
$2,034.14
+1934.1% cumulative inflation · 1942–2026
Your $100 in 1942 would have the purchasing power of $2,034.14 today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1942 had the same average buying power as $2,034.14 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 1934.1% across this 84-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar fell by 95.1%.
- This measures the broad basket of consumer goods and services (CPI-U). Individual expenses — housing, medical care, tuition — moved at different rates.
What this means in other amounts
| In 1942 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $20.34 |
| $5 | $101.71 |
| $10 | $203.41 |
| $20 | $406.83 |
| $50 | $1,017.07 |
| $100 | $2,034.14 |
| $500 | $10,170.69 |
| $1,000 | $20,341.38 |
| $10,000 | $203,413.81 |
| $100,000 | $2,034,138.10 |
Key facts about 1942
- Consumer prices rose 10.9% in 1942 — the 9th-largest annual increase in the 1913–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 1942, Food rose the most: 1923.1% cumulatively to 2025.
- In the decade after 1942, prices rose 62.6% in total.
$100 in 1942, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | $162.55 | +62.6% |
| 1962 | $185.20 | +85.2% |
| 1972 | $256.02 | +156.0% |
| 1982 | $590.82 | +490.8% |
| 1992 | $859.08 | +759.1% |
| 2002 | $1,101.28 | +1001.3% |
| 2012 | $1,405.68 | +1305.7% |
| 2022 | $1,791.76 | +1691.8% |
| 2026 | $2,034.14 | +1934.1% |
Monthly CPI in 1942
| Month | CPI-U index | Change vs same month, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 15.700 | 11.3% |
| February | 15.800 | 12.1% |
| March | 16.000 | 12.7% |
| April | 16.100 | 12.6% |
| May | 16.300 | 13.2% |
| June | 16.300 | 10.9% |
| July | 16.400 | 11.6% |
| August | 16.500 | 10.7% |
| September | 16.500 | 9.3% |
| October | 16.700 | 9.2% |
| November | 16.800 | 9.1% |
| December | 16.900 | 9.0% |
Annual average CPI-U for 1942: 16.333.
Verify this calculation
Series: CUUR0000SA0 (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, All Items, U.S. City Average; Not seasonally adjusted (NSA); base 1982-84=100).
Index (1942 annual average): 16.333 · Index (2026 annual average): 332.243 · Ratio: 20.3414
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: BLS data finder.
Cite this page
← $100 in 1941 · All years · $100 in 1943 →
The same year elsewhere: Canada