Value of $100 from 1914 to 1974
$100 in 1914 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $493 in 1974, an increase of $393.00 over 60 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.69% per year between 1914 and 1974, producing a cumulative price increase of 393.00%.
This means that prices in 1974 are 4.93 times as high as average prices since 1914, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1914 was 1.01%. The inflation rate in 1974 was 11.04%. The 1974 inflation rate is higher compared to the average inflation rate of 3.78% per year between 1974 and 2024.
Contents
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| Cumulative price change | 393.00% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.69% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $493 |
| Price difference $100 base | $393.00 |
| CPI in 1914 | 10.000 |
| CPI in 1974 | 49.300 |
| Inflation in 1914 | 1.01% |
| Inflation in 1974 | 11.04% |
| $100 in 1914 | $493 in 1974 |
Buying power of $100 in 1914
This chart shows a calculation of buying power equivalence for $100 in 1914 (price index tracking began in 1635).
For example, if you started with $100, you would need to end with $493 in order to "adjust" for inflation (sometimes refered to as "beating inflation").
When $100 is equivalent to $493 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 1914 dollars, the chart below shows how $100 is worth less over 60 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 1914 amounts in 1974 dollars, based on the 393.00% change in prices:
| Initial value | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1914 | $4.93 dollars in 1974 |
| $5 dollars in 1914 | $24.65 dollars in 1974 |
| $10 dollars in 1914 | $49.30 dollars in 1974 |
| $50 dollars in 1914 | $246.50 dollars in 1974 |
| $100 dollars in 1914 | $493.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $500 dollars in 1914 | $2,465.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $1,000 dollars in 1914 | $4,930.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $5,000 dollars in 1914 | $24,650.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $10,000 dollars in 1914 | $49,300.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $50,000 dollars in 1914 | $246,500.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $100,000 dollars in 1914 | $493,000.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $500,000 dollars in 1914 | $2,465,000.00 dollars in 1974 |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1914 | $4,930,000.00 dollars in 1974 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1914 would be equivalent to £1,107.14 in 1974, an absolute change of £1,007.14 and a cumulative change of 1,007.14%.
In Canada, CA$100.00 in 1914 would be equivalent to CA$435.37 in 1974, an absolute change of CA$335.37 and a cumulative change of 335.37%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $393.00 and total percent change of 393.00%.
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 1914 and 1974.
Compare these values to the overall average of 2.69% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1914 → 1974 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 6.82 | 5,134.58 | 5,234.58 |
| Housing | 5.84 | 2,916.26 | 3,016.26 |
| Apparel | 2.59 | 362.87 | 462.87 |
| Transportation | 3.05 | 505.94 | 605.94 |
| Medical care | 3.72 | 794.26 | 894.26 |
| Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Other goods and services | 5.14 | 1,922.73 | 2,022.73 |
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 1914. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1914 to 1974
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1914 and 1974:
CPI in 1974 CPI in 1914
×
1914 USD value
=
1974 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 10 in the year 1914 and 49.3 in 1974:
49.310
×
$100
=
$493
$100 in 1914 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $493 in 1974.
To get the total inflation rate for the 60 years between 1914 and 1974, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1974 - CPI in 1914CPI in 1914
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (60 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
49.3 - 1010
×
100
=
393%
Comparison to S&P 500 Index
The average inflation rate of 2.69% has a compounding effect between 1914 and 1974. As noted above, this yearly inflation rate compounds to produce an overall price difference of 393.00% over 60 years.
To help put this inflation into perspective, if we had invested $100 in the S&P 500 index in 1914, our investment would be nominally worth approximately $17,559.80 in 1974. This is a return on investment of 17,459.80%, with an absolute return of $17,459.80 on top of the original $100.
These numbers are not inflation adjusted, so they are considered nominal. In order to evaluate the real return on our investment, we must calculate the return with inflation taken into account.
The compounding effect of inflation would account for 79.72% of returns ($13,997.97) during this period. This means the inflation-adjusted real return of our $100 investment is $3,461.82. You may also want to account for capital gains tax, which would take your real return down to around $2,943 for most people.
| Original Amount | Final Amount | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal | $100 | $17,559.80 | 17,459.80% |
| Real Inflation Adjusted | $100 | $3,561.82 | 3,461.82% |
Information displayed above may differ slightly from other S&P 500 calculators. Minor discrepancies can occur because we use the latest CPI data for inflation, annualized inflation numbers for previous years, and we compute S&P price and dividends from January of 1914 to latest available data for 1974 using average monthly close price.
For more details on the S&P 500 between 1914 and 1974, see the stock market returns calculator.
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: “$100 in 1914 → 1974 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 23 Dec. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/us/inflation/1914?amount=100&endYear=1974.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Cumulative price change | 393.00% |
| Average inflation rate | 2.69% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $493 |
| Price difference $100 base | $393.00 |
| CPI in 1914 | 10.000 |
| CPI in 1974 | 49.300 |
| Inflation in 1914 | 1.01% |
| Inflation in 1974 | 11.04% |
| $100 in 1914 | $493 in 1974 |