$1,000 in 1940 is worth $24,025 today (CPI)
$24,025
Updated June 1, 2026 · BLS / FRED (CPIAUCSL)
$1,000 in 1940 is worth $24,025.32 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.
A thousand dollars in 1940 was a large sum for most families — well above typical annual savings as the wartime economy took shape. Because the mid-1940s saw price controls give way to a burst of inflation, a larger amount like this magnifies the absolute gap the adjustment uncovers. The today's-dollars figure reflects only the erosion of purchasing power over the period, not what the money could have grown to.
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Year by year
| Year | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| 1940 | $1,014 |
| 1950 | $1,799 |
| 1960 | $2,144 |
| 1970 | $2,863 |
| 1980 | $6,209 |
| 1990 | $9,626 |
| 2000 | $12,518 |
| 2010 | $15,768 |
| 2020 | $18,739 |
| 2026 | $24,025 |
Selected milestones; the math uses every month of the official series.
Put differently: what cost $1,000 in 1940 costs $24,025.32 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 $1,000 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.