$100 in 1970 is worth $863.35 in August 2026 dollars. Prices are 763.4% higher than they were in 1970, an average inflation rate of 3.92% a year over roughly 56 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
Inflation in 1970
The average CPI-U in 1970 was 38.8, up from 36.7 in 1969 — an annual inflation rate of 5.7%.
That rate was higher than in 89 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 1970 level by 1980, 10 years later.
Value of $100 from 1970 over time
1970 dollars in today’s dollars
| 1970 dollars | August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|
| $1 | $8.63 |
| $5 | $43.17 |
| $10 | $86.34 |
| $20 | $172.67 |
| $50 | $431.68 |
| $100 | $863.35 |
| $500 | $4,316.75 |
| $1,000 | $8,633.51 |
| $5,000 | $43,167.53 |
| $10,000 | $86,335.05 |
| $50,000 | $431,675.26 |
| $100,000 | $863,350.52 |
Buying power of $100 from 1970, year by year
| Year | Avg CPI-U | Inflation that year | Equivalent of $100 from 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38.8 | 5.7% | $100.00 |
| 1971 | 40.5 | 4.4% | $104.38 |
| 1972 | 41.8 | 3.2% | $107.73 |
| 1973 | 44.4 | 6.2% | $114.43 |
| 1974 | 49.3 | 11.0% | $127.06 |
| 1975 | 53.8 | 9.1% | $138.66 |
| 1976 | 56.9 | 5.8% | $146.65 |
| 1977 | 60.6 | 6.5% | $156.19 |
| 1978 | 65.2 | 7.6% | $168.04 |
| 1979 | 72.6 | 11.3% | $187.11 |
| 1980 | 82.4 | 13.5% | $212.37 |
| 1981 | 90.9 | 10.3% | $234.28 |
| 1982 | 96.5 | 6.2% | $248.71 |
| 1983 | 99.6 | 3.2% | $256.70 |
| 1984 | 103.900 | 4.3% | $267.78 |
| 1985 | 107.600 | 3.6% | $277.32 |
| 1986 | 109.600 | 1.9% | $282.47 |
| 1987 | 113.600 | 3.6% | $292.78 |
| 1988 | 118.300 | 4.1% | $304.90 |
| 1989 | 124.000 | 4.8% | $319.59 |
| 1990 | 130.700 | 5.4% | $336.86 |
| 1991 | 136.200 | 4.2% | $351.03 |
| 1992 | 140.300 | 3.0% | $361.60 |
| 1993 | 144.500 | 3.0% | $372.42 |
| 1994 | 148.200 | 2.6% | $381.96 |
| 1995 | 152.400 | 2.8% | $392.78 |
| 1996 | 156.900 | 3.0% | $404.38 |
| 1997 | 160.500 | 2.3% | $413.66 |
| 1998 | 163.000 | 1.6% | $420.10 |
| 1999 | 166.600 | 2.2% | $429.38 |
| 2000 | 172.200 | 3.4% | $443.81 |
| 2001 | 177.100 | 2.8% | $456.44 |
| 2002 | 179.900 | 1.6% | $463.66 |
| 2003 | 184.000 | 2.3% | $474.23 |
| 2004 | 188.900 | 2.7% | $486.86 |
| 2005 | 195.300 | 3.4% | $503.35 |
| 2006 | 201.600 | 3.2% | $519.59 |
| 2007 | 207.342 | 2.8% | $534.39 |
| 2008 | 215.303 | 3.8% | $554.90 |
| 2009 | 214.537 | -0.4% | $552.93 |
| 2010 | 218.056 | 1.6% | $562.00 |
| 2011 | 224.939 | 3.2% | $579.74 |
| 2012 | 229.594 | 2.1% | $591.74 |
| 2013 | 232.957 | 1.5% | $600.40 |
| 2014 | 236.736 | 1.6% | $610.14 |
| 2015 | 237.017 | 0.1% | $610.87 |
| 2016 | 240.007 | 1.3% | $618.57 |
| 2017 | 245.120 | 2.1% | $631.75 |
| 2018 | 251.107 | 2.4% | $647.18 |
| 2019 | 255.657 | 1.8% | $658.91 |
| 2020 | 258.811 | 1.2% | $667.04 |
| 2021 | 270.970 | 4.7% | $698.38 |
| 2022 | 292.655 | 8.0% | $754.27 |
| 2023 | 304.702 | 4.1% | $785.31 |
| 2024 | 313.689 | 2.9% | $808.48 |
| 2025 | 321.943 | 2.6% | $829.75 |
| August 2026 | 334.980 | — | $863.35 |
How this is calculated
Value today = amount × (latest CPI-U ÷ 1970 average CPI-U). For $100: 100 × (334.980 ÷ 38.8) = $863.35. The average annual rate is the compound rate that turns 1970 prices into today’s over the elapsed time, measured from mid-1970 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 $11.58 in 1970.
Other years
1960 dollars today · 1965 dollars today · 1968 dollars today · 1969 dollars today · 1971 dollars today · 1972 dollars today · 1975 dollars today · 1980 dollars today · Inflation calculator (any two years)
