$100 in 1976 is worth $588.72 in August 2026 dollars. Prices are 488.7% higher than they were in 1976, an average inflation rate of 3.60% a year over roughly 50 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
Inflation in 1976
The average CPI-U in 1976 was 56.9, up from 53.8 in 1975 — an annual inflation rate of 5.8%.
That rate was higher than in 90 of the 112 years from 1914 to 2025, and above the long-run average of 3.16% a year.
Average prices had doubled from their 1976 level by 1988, 12 years later.
Value of $100 from 1976 over time
1976 dollars in today’s dollars
| 1976 dollars | August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|
| $1 | $5.89 |
| $5 | $29.44 |
| $10 | $58.87 |
| $20 | $117.74 |
| $50 | $294.36 |
| $100 | $588.72 |
| $500 | $2,943.59 |
| $1,000 | $5,887.17 |
| $5,000 | $29,435.85 |
| $10,000 | $58,871.70 |
| $50,000 | $294,358.52 |
| $100,000 | $588,717.05 |
Buying power of $100 from 1976, year by year
| Year | Avg CPI-U | Inflation that year | Equivalent of $100 from 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $100.00 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $106.50 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $114.59 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $127.59 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $144.82 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $159.75 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $169.60 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $175.04 |
| 1984 | 103.900 | 4.3% | $182.60 |
| 1985 | 107.600 | 3.6% | $189.10 |
| 1986 | 109.600 | 1.9% | $192.62 |
| 1987 | 113.600 | 3.6% | $199.65 |
| 1988 | 118.300 | 4.1% | $207.91 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 4.8% | $217.93 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 5.4% | $229.70 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 4.2% | $239.37 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 3.0% | $246.57 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 3.0% | $253.95 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.6% | $260.46 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.8% | $267.84 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 3.0% | $275.75 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.3% | $282.07 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 1.6% | $286.47 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.2% | $292.79 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 3.4% | $302.64 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 2.8% | $311.25 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.6% | $316.17 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 2.3% | $323.37 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 2.7% | $331.99 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 3.4% | $343.23 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 3.2% | $354.31 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $364.40 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $378.39 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $377.04 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $383.23 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $395.32 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $403.50 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $409.41 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $416.06 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $416.55 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $421.80 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $430.79 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $441.31 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $449.31 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $454.85 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $476.22 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $514.33 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $535.50 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $551.30 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $565.80 |
| August 2026 | 334.980 | — | $588.72 |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (latest CPI-U ÷ 1976 average CPI-U). For $100: 100 × (334.980 ÷ 56.9) = $588.72. The average annual rate is the compound rate that turns 1976 prices into today’s over the elapsed time, measured from mid-1976 because an annual average describes the middle of the year. CPI-U tracks a broad basket of urban consumer spending; the prices of specific items such as housing, tuition or food have moved by different amounts.
Reverse: $100.00 today had the same buying power as $16.99 in 1976.
Other years
1966 dollars today · 1971 dollars today · 1974 dollars today · 1975 dollars today · 1977 dollars today · 1978 dollars today · 1981 dollars today · 1986 dollars today · Inflation calculator (any two years)
