What is $100 from 1938 worth today?
$100 in 1938 has the same buying power as $2,391 in September 2026. Prices are 2,291% higher than in 1938, an average inflation rate of 3.66% a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index.
1938 dollars in today's money
| In 1938 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $23.91 |
| $5 | $119.55 |
| $10 | $239.10 |
| $20 | $478.20 |
| $50 | $1,196 |
| $100 | $2,391 |
| $1,000 | $23,910 |
| $10,000 | $239,100 |
| $100,000 | $2,391,002 |
Inflation calculator
Based on the annual average consumer price index (CPI-U) for each year; "today" is the latest monthly CPI.
What $100 from 1938 was worth over time
| Year | Value of $100 from 1938 |
|---|---|
| 1940 | $99.40 |
| 1945 | $127.68 |
| 1950 | $170.78 |
| 1955 | $190.00 |
| 1960 | $209.87 |
| 1965 | $223.59 |
| 1970 | $275.51 |
| 1975 | $381.90 |
| 1980 | $584.79 |
| 1985 | $763.32 |
| 1990 | $927.18 |
| 1995 | $1,081 |
| 2000 | $1,222 |
| 2005 | $1,386 |
| 2010 | $1,547 |
| 2015 | $1,682 |
| 2020 | $1,837 |
| September 2026 | $2,391 |
Annual-average CPI of each year.
Frequently asked questions
How much is $100 from 1938 worth today?
$100 in 1938 has the same buying power as $2,391 in September 2026. Prices are 2,291% higher than in 1938, an average inflation rate of 3.66% a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1938?
Consumer prices fell 2.0% in 1938 on an annual-average basis, and -2.8% from December 1937 to December 1938.
How much would $1 from 1938 be worth now?
$1 in 1938 is worth about $23.91 in September 2026 dollars. Put the other way, a dollar today buys what $0.04 bought in 1938.
How is this calculated?
We divide the latest consumer price index (336.940 for September 2026) by the average index for 1938 (14.092) and multiply by the amount. The index is the CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), 1982-84 = 100, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U (1982-84 = 100), via FRED.