How much is $100 from 1976 worth today?

About $587.70 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 1976 to 2026?

Cumulative inflation was 487.7%, an average of 3.61% per year over 50 years.

What would $100 today have bought in 1976?

Today’s $100 buys what about $17.02 bought in 1976.

What was the highest one-year inflation since 1976?

1980, when the CPI rose 13.5% over the year before.

$100 in 1976 is worth $587.70 in 2026

$100 in 1976 has the same buying power as $587.70 in 2026. Prices rose 487.7% — about 3.61% a year. See $1 to $100,000 from 1976 in today’s dollars, using U.S. CPI-U.

Cumulative inflation

487.7%

1976 → 2026

Average per year

3.61%

over 50 years

$100 today in 1976

$17.02

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 1976 is worth, year by year

Year	$100 from 1976 equals
1976	$100.00
1981	$159.75
1986	$192.62
1991	$239.37
1996	$275.75
2001	$311.25
2006	$354.31
2011	$395.25
2016	$421.79
2021	$476.27
2026	$587.70

1976 dollars in 2026 dollars

In 1976	In 2026
$1.00	$5.88
$5.00	$29.38
$10.00	$58.77
$20.00	$117.54
$50.00	$293.85
$100.00	$587.70
$500.00	$2,938.49
$1,000.00	$5,876.98
$5,000.00	$29,384.89
$10,000.00	$58,769.77
$50,000.00	$293,848.86
$100,000.00	$587,697.72

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in 2026 ÷ CPI in 1976). The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, annual average) tracks what a typical basket of goods and services costs. Between 1976 and 2026the index rose by a factor of 5.877, so every 1976 dollar needs about $5.88 today to buy the same things. The biggest single-year jump in that span was 13.5% in 1980.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $100 from 1976 worth today?: About $587.70 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 1976 to 2026?: Cumulative inflation was 487.7%, an average of 3.61% per year over 50 years.
What would $100 today have bought in 1976?: Today’s $100 buys what about $17.02 bought in 1976.
What was the highest one-year inflation since 1976?: 1980, when the CPI rose 13.5% over the year before.

$100 in other years

Any amount, any two years — open the inflation calculator