Value of $100 from 1838 to 2015
$100 in 1838 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $2,548.57 in 2015, an increase of $2,448.57 over 177 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 1.85% per year between 1838 and 2015, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,448.57%.
This means that prices in 2015 are 25.49 times as high as average prices since 1838, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1838 was -3.12%. The inflation rate in 2015 was 0.12%. The 2015 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 3.24% per year between 2015 and 2024.
Contents
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| Cumulative price change | 2,448.57% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.85% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $2,548.57 |
| Price difference $100 base | $2,448.57 |
| CPI in 1838 | 9.300 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
| Inflation in 1838 | -3.12% |
| Inflation in 2015 | 0.12% |
| $100 in 1838 | $2,548.57 in 2015 |
Buying power of $100 in 1838
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1838 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $2,548.57 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $2,548.57 over time, that means that the "real value" of a single U.S. dollar decreases over time. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation erodes the value of a dollar over time. By calculating the value in 1838 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 177 years.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, each of these USD amounts below is equal in terms of what it could buy at the time:
This conversion table shows various other 1838 amounts in 2015 dollars, based on the 2,448.57% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1838 | $25.49 dollars in 2015 |
| $5 dollars in 1838 | $127.43 dollars in 2015 |
| $10 dollars in 1838 | $254.86 dollars in 2015 |
| $50 dollars in 1838 | $1,274.28 dollars in 2015 |
| $100 dollars in 1838 | $2,548.57 dollars in 2015 |
| $500 dollars in 1838 | $12,742.85 dollars in 2015 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1838 | $25,485.70 dollars in 2015 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1838 | $127,428.49 dollars in 2015 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1838 | $254,856.99 dollars in 2015 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1838 | $1,274,284.95 dollars in 2015 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1838 | $2,548,569.89 dollars in 2015 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1838 | $12,742,849.46 dollars in 2015 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1838 | $25,485,698.92 dollars in 2015 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1838 would be equivalent to £10,000.00 in 2015, an absolute change of £9,900.00 and a cumulative change of 9,900.00%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $2,448.57 and total percent change of 2,448.57%.
Inflation by Spending Category
CPI is the weighted combination of many categories of spending that are tracked by the government. Breaking down these categories helps explain the main drivers behind price changes.
This chart shows the average rate of inflation for select CPI categories between 1838 and 2015.
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.85% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1838 → 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 4.15 | 134,409.79 | 134,509.79 |
| Housing | 4.35 | 188,613.36 | 188,713.36 |
| Apparel | 2.11 | 3,958.39 | 4,058.39 |
| Transportation | 3.36 | 34,342.61 | 34,442.61 |
| Medical care | 4.84 | 428,196.40 | 428,296.40 |
| Recreation | 1.12 | 619.95 | 719.95 |
| Education and communication | 2.21 | 4,678.46 | 4,778.46 |
| Other goods and services | 5.28 | 906,559.27 | 906,659.27 |
The graph below compares inflation in categories of goods over time. Click on a category such as "Food" to toggle it on or off:
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1838. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1838 to 2015
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1838 and 2015:
CPI in 2015 CPI in 1838
×
1838 USD value
=
2015 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 9.3 in the year 1838 and 237.017 in 2015:
237.0179.3
×
$100
=
$2,548.57
$100 in 1838 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $2,548.57 in 2015.
To get the total inflation rate for the 177 years between 1838 and 2015, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2015 - CPI in 1838CPI in 1838
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (177 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
237.017 - 9.39.3
×
100
=
2,449%
Data source & citation
Raw data for these calculations comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI), established in 1913. Price index data from 1774 to 1912 is sourced from a historical study conducted by political science professor Robert Sahr at Oregon State University and from the American Antiquarian Society. Price index data from 1634 to 1773 is from the American Antiquarian Society, using British pound equivalents.
You may use the following MLA citation for this page: “1838 dollars in 2015 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 14 Nov. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1838-dollars-in-2015.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
in2013dollars.com is a reference website maintained by the Official Data Foundation.
| Cumulative price change | 2,448.57% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.85% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $2,548.57 |
| Price difference $100 base | $2,448.57 |
| CPI in 1838 | 9.300 |
| CPI in 2015 | 237.017 |
| Inflation in 1838 | -3.12% |
| Inflation in 2015 | 0.12% |
| $100 in 1838 | $2,548.57 in 2015 |