Cost and Earnings Throughout Decades: A Comparative Analysis

Learn how much things cost and how much people earned

People often look back on the days when everything cost less and say they were the "good old days. But were they really so good? Things did cost less, but people earned less, too. See how much things cost and how much people earned in the good old days

1950s 1950s The baby boomers are born, families migrate to the suburbs, and the civil rights movement and rock and roll take hold. What it cost What people earned 1950 $0.70 $6,000 $0.60 $0.50 $5,000 $0.40 $0.30 $0.20 $4,000 $0.10 $0.00 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $3,000 $50.00 $40.00 $2,000 $30.00 $1,000 $20.00 $10.00 $0 $0.00 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers Bike Baseball glove Guitar

1960s 1960s Martin Luther King Jr delivers his I Have a Dream speech. We walk on the moon, and the US joins the Vietnam War. What it cost What people earned 1960 1950 $1.20 $10,000 $1.00 $9,000 $0.80 $8,000 $0.60 $0.40 $7,000 $0.20 $6,000 $0.00 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $5,000 $120.00 $4,000 $100.00 $3,000 $80.00 $60.00 $2,000 $40.00 $1,000 $20.00 $0.00 $0 Bike Baseball glove Guitar Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers

1970s 1970s Women enter the workforce in record numbers. The computer age dawns. Japan emerges as an economic power. What it cost What people earned 1960 1950 1970 $2.50 $18,000 $2.00 $16,000 $1.50 $14,000 $1.00 $0.50 $12,000 $0.00 $10,000 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $8,000 $200.00 $6,000 $150.00 $4,000 $100.00 $2,000 $50.00 $0 $0.00 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers Bike Baseball glove Guitar

1980s 1980s The war on drugs begins, and scientists identify the virus that causes AIDS. 1960 1950 1980 1970 What it cost What people earned $4.00 $35,000 $3.50 $3.00 $30,000 $2.50 $2.00 $1.50 $25,000 $1.00 $0.50 $20,000 $0.00 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $15,000 $350.00 $300.00 $250.00 $10,000 $200.00 $150.00 $5,000 $100.00 $50.00 $0 $0.00 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers Bike Baseball glove Guitar

1990s 1990s The Soviet Union breaks apart and globalization increases. The Internet, cell phones, and e-mail take hold. 1960 1990 1950 1980 1970 What it cost What people earned $5.00 $70,000 $4.00 $60,000 $3.00 $2.00 $50,000 $1.00 $40,000 $0.00 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $30,000 $600.00 $500.00 $20,000 $400.00 $300.00 $10,000 $200.00 $100.00 $0 $0.00 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers Bike Baseball glove Guitar

2000s 2000s Terrorism increases. We continue to make advances in health care, computers, and consumer electronic products. 1960 1990 1950 1980 1970 2000 What it cost What people earned $90,000 $7.00 $6.00 $80,000 $5.00 $4.00 $70,000 $3.00 $2.00 $60,000 $1.00 $0.00 $50,000 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $40,000 $800.00 $700.00 $30,000 $600.00 $500.00 $20,000 $400.00 $300.00 $10,000 $200.00 $100.00 $0.00 $0 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers Bike Baseball glove Guitar

2010s 2010s Technology continues to advance computers become smaller and cell phones become smarter. 1960 1990 1950 1980 1970 2000 What it cost What people earned 2010 $10.00 $120,000 $8.00 $6.00 $100,000 $4.00 $2.00 $80,000 $0.00 Movie ticket Bus fare Chocolate bar Ice cream cone Hamburger $60,000 $1,200.00 $1,000.00 $40,000 $800.00 $600.00 $20,000 $400.00 $200.00 $0 Nurses Lawyers Teachers Architects Construction workers Firefighters Engineers $0.00 Bike Baseball glove Guitar

So thats inflation when prices and wages rise steadily. Inflation means that $1 was more valuable in 1955 than it is today.