Value of $100 from 1860 to 1980
$100 in 1860 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $992.77 in 1980, an increase of $892.77 over 120 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 1.93% per year between 1860 and 1980, producing a cumulative price increase of 892.77%.
This means that prices in 1980 are 9.93 times as high as average prices since 1860, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1860 was 0.00%. The inflation rate in 1980 was 13.50%. The 1980 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 3.03% per year between 1980 and 2025.
Contents
⌃
| Cumulative price change | 892.77% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.93% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $992.77 |
| Price difference $100 base | $892.77 |
| CPI in 1860 | 8.300 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.400 |
| Inflation in 1860 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1860 | $992.77 in 1980 |
Buying power of $100 in 1860
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1860 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $992.77 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $992.77 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 1860 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 120 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 1860 amounts in 1980 dollars, based on the 892.77% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1860 | $9.93 dollars in 1980 |
| $5 dollars in 1860 | $49.64 dollars in 1980 |
| $10 dollars in 1860 | $99.28 dollars in 1980 |
| $50 dollars in 1860 | $496.39 dollars in 1980 |
| $100 dollars in 1860 | $992.77 dollars in 1980 |
| $500 dollars in 1860 | $4,963.86 dollars in 1980 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1860 | $9,927.71 dollars in 1980 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1860 | $49,638.55 dollars in 1980 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1860 | $99,277.11 dollars in 1980 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1860 | $496,385.54 dollars in 1980 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1860 | $992,771.08 dollars in 1980 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1860 | $4,963,855.42 dollars in 1980 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1860 | $9,927,710.84 dollars in 1980 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1860 would be equivalent to £2,835.48 in 1980, an absolute change of £2,735.48 and a cumulative change of 2,735.48%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $892.77 and total percent change of 892.77%.
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 1860 and 1980.
Compare these values to the overall average of 1.93% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1860 → 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 7.24 | 437,142.91 | 437,242.91 |
| Housing | 7.73 | 760,863.97 | 760,963.97 |
| Apparel | 2.74 | 2,452.56 | 2,552.56 |
| Transportation | 4.00 | 11,018.85 | 11,118.85 |
| Medical care | 4.53 | 20,254.52 | 20,354.52 |
| Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Other goods and services | 6.04 | 114,347.14 | 114,447.14 |
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 1860. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1860 to 1980
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1860 and 1980:
CPI in 1980 CPI in 1860
×
1860 USD value
=
1980 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 8.3 in the year 1860 and 82.4 in 1980:
82.48.3
×
$100
=
$992.77
$100 in 1860 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $992.77 in 1980.
To get the total inflation rate for the 120 years between 1860 and 1980, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1980 - CPI in 1860CPI in 1860
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (120 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
82.4 - 8.38.3
×
100
=
893%
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: “1860 dollars in 1980 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 26 Dec. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1860-dollars-in-1980.
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 | 892.77% |
| Average inflation rate | 1.93% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $992.77 |
| Price difference $100 base | $892.77 |
| CPI in 1860 | 8.300 |
| CPI in 1980 | 82.400 |
| Inflation in 1860 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1980 | 13.50% |
| $100 in 1860 | $992.77 in 1980 |