Value of $100 from 1880 to 1879
$100 in 1880 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $98.04 in 1879. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 2.00% per year between 1879 and 1880, producing a cumulative price increase of -1.96%.
This means that prices in 1879 are 1.96% lower than average prices since 1880, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
The inflation rate in 1879 was 0.00%. The inflation rate in 1880 was 2.00%. The 1880 inflation rate is lower compared to the average inflation rate of 2.39% per year between 1880 and 2025.
Contents
⌃
| Average inflation rate | 2.00% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $98.04 |
| Price difference $100 base | $-1.96 |
| CPI in 1880 | 10.200 |
| CPI in 1879 | 10.000 |
| Inflation in 1879 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1880 | 2.00% |
| $100 in 1880 | $98.04 in 1879 |
Inflation by Country
Inflation can also vary widely by country. For comparison, in the UK £100.00 in 1880 would be equivalent to £96.81 in 1879, an absolute change of £-3.19 and a cumulative change of -3.19%.
Compare these numbers to the US's overall absolute change of $-1.96 and total percent change of -1.96%.
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 1880 and 1879.
Compare these values to the overall average of 2.00% per year:
| Category | Avg Inflation (%) | Total Inflation (%) | $100 in 1879 → 1880 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food and beverages | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Housing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Apparel | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Transportation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Medical care | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Recreation | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Education and communication | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
| Other goods and services | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.00 |
For all these visualizations, it's important to note that not all categories may have been tracked since 1880. This table and charts use the earliest available data for each category.
How to calculate inflation rate for $100, 1879 to 1880
Our calculations use the following inflation rate formula to calculate the change in value between 1879 and 1880:
CPI in 1879 CPI in 1880
×
1880 USD value
=
1879 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values. The U.S. CPI was 10.2 in the year 1880 and 10 in 1879:
1010.2
×
$100
=
$98.04
$100 in 1880 has the same "purchasing power" or "buying power" as $98.04 in 1879.
To get the total inflation rate for the 1 years between 1879 and 1880, we use the following formula:
CPI in 1879 - CPI in 1880CPI in 1880
×
100
=
Cumulative inflation rate (1 years)
Plugging in the values to this equation, we get:
10 - 10.210.2
×
100
=
-2%
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 1880 → 1879 | Inflation Calculator.” Official Inflation Data, Alioth Finance, 25 Dec. 2024, https://www.officialdata.org/1880-dollars-in-1879?amount=100.
Special thanks to QuickChart for their chart image API, which is used for chart downloads.
| Average inflation rate | 2.00% |
| Converted amount $100 base | $98.04 |
| Price difference $100 base | $-1.96 |
| CPI in 1880 | 10.200 |
| CPI in 1879 | 10.000 |
| Inflation in 1879 | 0.00% |
| Inflation in 1880 | 2.00% |
| $100 in 1880 | $98.04 in 1879 |