$1,000 in 1930 is worth $19,529 today (CPI)
$19,529
Updated June 1, 2026 · BLS / FRED (CPIAUCSL)
$1,000 in 1930 is worth $19,529.36 in today's dollars, adjusted by the official U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), which rose 1,853% since then. BLS/FRED data through June 1, 2026.
A thousand dollars in 1930 was a considerable amount as the Depression deepened — enough to anchor a household's savings while prices were collapsing around it. Starting from a deflationary low makes the cumulative gap to today larger than a steadier starting year would, and at this scale that difference is plainly visible. What the adjustment shows is purchasing power across the period, not investment growth.
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Year by year
| Year | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| 1930 | $942 |
| 1940 | $825 |
| 1950 | $1,462 |
| 1960 | $1,743 |
| 1970 | $2,327 |
| 1980 | $5,047 |
| 1990 | $7,825 |
| 2000 | $10,175 |
| 2010 | $12,817 |
| 2020 | $15,232 |
| 2026 | $19,529 |
Selected milestones; the math uses every month of the official series.
Put differently: what cost $1,000 in 1930 costs $19,529.36 today. A dollar from 1930 buys only 5% of what it bought then — prices multiplied 19.5× over the period.
During the Great Depression prices fell roughly 25% between 1929 and 1933, the deepest deflation in the modern record.
Frequently asked questions
How is the value of $1,000 from 1930 calculated?
We divide today's CPI-U index level by the 1930 level, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cumulative change is 1,853% — a factor of 19.53.
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.