$100 in 1940 is worth $2,403 today (CPI)
$2,403
Updated June 1, 2026 · BLS / FRED (CPIAUCSL)
$100 in 1940 is worth $2,402.53 in today's dollars, adjusted by the official U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), which rose 2,303% since then. BLS/FRED data through June 1, 2026.
One hundred dollars in 1940 was a solid household sum on the eve of wartime price controls and the double-digit inflation that broke loose when they lifted in 1946–47. At this scale the adjustment carries that early jolt through every decade since, showing how much in today's dollars matches the buying power $100 held just before the country's economy mobilized for war. It is a purchasing-power measure, not a return.
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Year by year
| Year | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| 1940 | $101 |
| 1950 | $180 |
| 1960 | $214 |
| 1970 | $286 |
| 1980 | $621 |
| 1990 | $963 |
| 2000 | $1,252 |
| 2010 | $1,577 |
| 2020 | $1,874 |
| 2026 | $2,403 |
Selected milestones; the math uses every month of the official series.
Put differently: what cost $100 in 1940 costs $2,402.53 today. A dollar from 1940 buys only 4% of what it bought then — prices multiplied 24.0× over the period.
World War II brought price controls, then a burst of double-digit inflation when they were lifted in 1946–47.
Frequently asked questions
How is the value of $100 from 1940 calculated?
We divide today's CPI-U index level by the 1940 level, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cumulative change is 2,303% — a factor of 24.03.
Which inflation measure is used?
CPI-U, the broadest official U.S. consumer price index (all urban consumers), the same series used by the BLS inflation calculator.
Does this include investment returns?
No. This is pure purchasing-power adjustment. Money invested in stocks or bonds over the same period would have grown far more than inflation.
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Descriptive, educational content computed from official public data. Not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.