How much is $100 from 1938 worth today?

About $2,371.63 in 2026 dollars, based on the annual-average U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). 2026 is an estimate until the full-year CPI is published.

What was the inflation rate from 1938 to 2026?

Cumulative inflation was 2271.6%, an average of 3.66% per year over 88 years.

What would $100 today have bought in 1938?

Today’s $100 buys what about $4.22 bought in 1938.

What was the highest one-year inflation since 1938?

1947, when the CPI rose 14.4% over the year before.

$100 in 1938 is worth $2,372 in 2026

$100 in 1938 has the same buying power as $2,372 in 2026. Prices rose 2271.6% — about 3.66% a year. See $1 to $100,000 from 1938 in today’s dollars, using U.S. CPI-U.

Cumulative inflation

2271.6%

1938 → 2026

Average per year

3.66%

over 88 years

$100 today in 1938

$4.22

same buying power

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2026 uses the Minneapolis Fed’s estimate of the annual-average CPI until the full year is published.

What $100 from 1938 is worth, year by year

Year	$100 from 1938 equals
1938	$100.00
1948	$170.21
1958	$204.96
1968	$246.81
1978	$462.41
1988	$839.01
1998	$1,156.03
2008	$1,526.95
2018	$1,780.85
2026	$2,371.63

1938 dollars in 2026 dollars

In 1938	In 2026
$1.00	$23.72
$5.00	$118.58
$10.00	$237.16
$20.00	$474.33
$50.00	$1,185.82
$100.00	$2,371.63
$500.00	$11,858.16
$1,000.00	$23,716.31
$5,000.00	$118,581.56
$10,000.00	$237,163.12
$50,000.00	$1,185,815.60
$100,000.00	$2,371,631.21

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in 2026 ÷ CPI in 1938). The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, annual average) tracks what a typical basket of goods and services costs. Between 1938 and 2026the index rose by a factor of 23.716, so every 1938 dollar needs about $23.72 today to buy the same things. The biggest single-year jump in that span was 14.4% in 1947.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $100 from 1938 worth today?: About $2,371.63 in 2026 dollars, based on the annual-average U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). 2026 is an estimate until the full-year CPI is published.
What was the inflation rate from 1938 to 2026?: Cumulative inflation was 2271.6%, an average of 3.66% per year over 88 years.
What would $100 today have bought in 1938?: Today’s $100 buys what about $4.22 bought in 1938.
What was the highest one-year inflation since 1938?: 1947, when the CPI rose 14.4% over the year before.

$100 in other years

Any amount, any two years — open the inflation calculator