$1 in 1975 had the same buying power as $6.26 in September 2026. Prices are 526% higher than in 1975, an average of 3.6% 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 16 cents bought in 1975.
Convert any amount from 1975 in the Inflation Calculator
1975 dollars in today's money
| In 1975 | In September 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1.00 | $6.26 |
| $5.00 | $31.30 |
| $10.00 | $62.61 |
| $20.00 | $125.22 |
| $50.00 | $313.04 |
| $100.00 | $626 |
| $500.00 | $3,130 |
| $1,000 | $6,261 |
| $10,000 | $62,608 |
What $100 from 1975 cost in the years since
Annual averages of CPI-U; 2026 uses September 2026. Source: BLS via FRED.
Inflation in 1975
Prices rose 9.1% in 1975, comparing its average CPI-U with 1974's. That ranks 11th of the 112 years since 1914, from the highest inflation to the lowest.
| Year | Inflation |
|---|---|
| 1973 | 6.2% |
| 1974 | 11.1% |
| 1975 | 9.1% |
| 1976 | 5.7% |
| 1977 | 6.5% |
Wages in 1975 and today
- The federal minimum wage was $2.10 an hour in 1975. $2.10 then is worth $13.15 in today's dollars; the federal minimum has been $7.25 since July 2009.
- Production and nonsupervisory workers earned an average of $4.74 an hour in 1975, or $29.65 in today's dollars. In September 2026 they averaged $32.54, so their pay buys 9.8% more than in 1975.
What $100 from 1975 was worth over the years
How this is calculated
Divide today's price index by the index for 1975, then multiply by the amount:
$100 × (336.94 ÷ 53.817) = $626.08
1975'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.