$1 in 1940 had the same buying power as $24.05 in September 2026. Prices are 2,305% higher than in 1940, an average of 3.8% a year, based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A dollar in September 2026 buys what 4 cents bought in 1940.
Convert any amount from 1940 in the Inflation Calculator
1940 dollars in today's money
| In 1940 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $24.05 |
| $5.00 | $120.27 |
| $10.00 | $240.53 |
| $20.00 | $481.07 |
| $50.00 | $1,202.67 |
| $100.00 | $2,405 |
| $500.00 | $12,027 |
| $1,000 | $24,053 |
| $10,000 | $240,534 |
What $100 from 1940 cost in the years since
Annual averages of CPI-U; 2026 uses September 2026. Source: BLS via FRED.
Inflation in 1940
Prices rose 0.7% in 1940, comparing its average CPI-U with 1939's. That ranks 95th of the 112 years since 1914, from the highest inflation to the lowest.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1938 | -2.0% |
| 1939 | -1.3% |
| 1940 | 0.7% |
| 1941 | 5.1% |
| 1942 | 10.9% |
Wages in 1940 and today
- The federal minimum wage was $0.30 an hour in 1940. $0.30 then is worth $7.22 in today's dollars; the federal minimum has been $7.25 since July 2009.
What $100 from 1940 was worth over the years
| Year | $100 from 1940 is worth |
|---|---|
| 1950 | $172 |
| 1960 | $211 |
| 1970 | $277 |
| 1980 | $588 |
| 1990 | $933 |
| 2000 | $1,229 |
| 2010 | $1,557 |
| 2020 | $1,848 |
| 2025 | $2,298 |
| September 2026 | $2,405 |
How this is calculated
Divide today's price index by the index for 1940, then multiply by the amount:
$100 × (336.94 ÷ 14.008) = $2,405.34
1940's index is the average of its monthly CPI-U values; today's is the latest month, September 2026. Other calculators can differ slightly if they use a different month or index. More in our methodology.
Data: CPI-U through September 2026. Next BLS release: November 10, 2026. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED; minimum wage from the U.S. Department of Labor.