$1 in 1970 had the same buying power as $8.68 in September 2026. Prices are 768% higher than in 1970, an average of 3.9% 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 12 cents bought in 1970.
Convert any amount from 1970 in the Inflation Calculator
1970 dollars in today's money
| In 1970 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $8.68 |
| $5.00 | $43.39 |
| $10.00 | $86.78 |
| $20.00 | $173.57 |
| $50.00 | $433.92 |
| $100.00 | $868 |
| $500.00 | $4,339 |
| $1,000 | $8,678 |
| $10,000 | $86,784 |
What $100 from 1970 cost in the years since
Annual averages of CPI-U; 2026 uses September 2026. Source: BLS via FRED.
Inflation in 1970
Prices rose 5.8% in 1970, comparing its average CPI-U with 1969's. That ranks 22nd of the 112 years since 1914, from the highest inflation to the lowest.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 4.3% |
| 1969 | 5.5% |
| 1970 | 5.8% |
| 1971 | 4.3% |
| 1972 | 3.3% |
Wages in 1970 and today
- The federal minimum wage was $1.60 an hour in 1970. $1.60 then is worth $13.89 in today's dollars; the federal minimum has been $7.25 since July 2009.
- Production and nonsupervisory workers earned an average of $3.41 an hour in 1970, or $29.56 in today's dollars. In September 2026 they averaged $32.54, so their pay buys 10.1% more than in 1970.
What $100 from 1970 was worth over the years
How this is calculated
Divide today's price index by the index for 1970, then multiply by the amount:
$100 × (336.94 ÷ 38.825) = $867.84
1970'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; prices and wages from BLS average price data and Current Employment Statistics; minimum wage from the U.S. Department of Labor.