US dollars · Historical CPI-U

US Inflation and Buying Power Calculator

See how the buying power of US dollars changed between two dates. This calculator adjusts an amount using a consistent Consumer Price Index series and shows the equivalent amount in the second period.

Historical comparison

Your money and periods

Loading the saved BLS dataset…

Both periods use the same series and frequency. Annual mode uses published BLS annual averages, never a calculated year-to-date average or the latest month.

Optional wage comparison

Use the same pay basis and hours for both amounts, such as hourly pay or annual pay for the same working schedule. Taxes and benefits are not included.

Your amounts stay in this browser and are not saved.

Selected CPI series and periods

CUUR0000SA0 · CPI-U, all items, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted. Index base: 1982–1984 = 100.

Dataset date unavailable.

Published averages may reflect source data gaps; missing monthly observations remain unavailable. The local observation revision date is when Toolistify first imported or detected a change to that value. BLS does not supply a per-observation revision timestamp through this API. Saved snapshots retain earlier values.

How to use this tool

  1. Choose monthly data or annual averages.
  2. Enter an amount and two available periods.
  3. Read the adjusted amount alongside the selected index and dates.

How the result is calculated

The calculator multiplies your original amount by the later price index divided by the earlier index. This measures average price change for the chosen basket, not the price change of every household's purchases.

Worked example

If an illustrative price index rises from 200 to 250, $100 in the first period has the same indexed buying power as $125 in the second. The cumulative increase is 25%.

What this result does not cover

CPI describes an average basket. Your rent, medical costs or personal spending may change differently. Historical adjustment does not predict future inflation.

Questions people ask

Can inflation be negative?

Yes. A lower index produces a lower equivalent amount.

Why do two calculators differ?

They may use different indexes, months or annual averages.

Can I compare salaries?

Yes. Enter both salaries to separate the nominal increase from the change after inflation.

Sources and data maintenance

Data owner: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Methodology and maintenance owner: Toolistify. Refresh the saved dataset after each BLS CPI release; if a refresh fails, retain the last successful snapshot and its displayed data date.

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