Rounded US average prices for 8 everyday items, one row per benchmark year. The CPI-U column lets you adjust any price for inflation.
A gallon of gas cost about $0.27 in 1950 and about $3.20 in 2026, while the average house rose from $7,354 to about $420,000. CPI-U rose about 13.5x over the same period.
| Year | Gas per gallon ($) | Bread loaf ($) | Milk gallon ($) | Movie ticket ($) | Average house ($) | Average new car ($) | Postage stamp ($) | Coffee cup ($) | CPI-U annual average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.27 | 0.14 | 0.83 | 0.46 | 7,354 | 1,510 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 24.1 |
| 1960 | 0.31 | 0.22 | 1.04 | 0.69 | 11,900 | 2,600 | 0.04 | 0.10 | 29.6 |
| 1970 | 0.36 | 0.25 | 1.32 | 1.55 | 23,450 | 3,900 | 0.06 | 0.25 | 38.8 |
| 1980 | 1.25 | 0.50 | 2.16 | 2.69 | 76,400 | 7,200 | 0.15 | 0.45 | 82.4 |
| 1990 | 1.16 | 0.75 | 2.78 | 4.23 | 149,800 | 16,012 | 0.25 | 0.75 | 130.7 |
| 2000 | 1.51 | 1.99 | 3.29 | 5.39 | 244,900 | 23,368 | 0.33 | 1.50 | 172.2 |
| 2010 | 2.79 | 2.79 | 3.40 | 7.89 | 272,900 | 29,217 | 0.44 | 2.00 | 218.1 |
| 2020 | 2.17 | 3.98 | 3.54 | 9.16 | 407,700 | 37,876 | 0.55 | 3.00 | 258.8 |
| 2026 (estimate) | 3.20 | 4.50 | 4.29 | 14.00 | 420,000 | 48,000 | 0.73 | 5.50 | 325.0 |
Dayblip, "US Price History, 1950 to 2026", October 2026, dayblip.com/data/price-history. The CSV is free to use with this credit.
Methodology: Past prices are rounded national averages for each benchmark year. The 2026 prices are Dayblip estimates and the 2026 CPI-U is a projection of 325.0, so percentage changes are approximate. To adjust a price for inflation, multiply it by 325.0 divided by the CPI-U for its year.
Last updated: October 2026
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family