$1,000 in 1920 is worth $16,749.00 today

$1,000 in 1920 has the same buying power as

$16,749.00 in August 2026

That is 1,575% more, an average inflation rate of 2.69% a year over 106 years.

Put the other way, $1,000 today buys what $59.71 bought in 1920. Cash kept under the mattress since 1920 has lost 94% of its value.

$1,000 from nearby years

$1,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1915$33,166.341.0%
1916$30,732.117.9%
1917$26,170.3117.4%
1918$22,184.1118.0%
1919$19,363.0114.6%
1920$16,749.0015.6%
1921$18,713.97-10.5%
1922$19,939.29-6.1%
1923$19,589.471.8%
1924$19,589.470.0%
1925$19,141.712.3%

How $1,000 from 1920 grew

$0.00$5000$10K$15K$20K1920194019601980200020202026.625: $17K
$1,000 from 1920 in each later year's dollars

$1,000 of 1920 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $1,000 spent on each of these in 1920 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$16,686.57
Rent$16,386.75
Electricity$7,295.46
Clothing$3,172.90

Try a different amount or date

$1,000.00 in 1920 has the same buying power as

$16,749.00 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,574.9% in total, an average of 2.69% a year.

Questions

How much is $1,000 in 1920 worth today?
$1,000 in 1920 is worth $16,749.00 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $1,000 in 1920?
You would need $16,749.00 to buy what $1,000 bought in 1920. That is 16.75 times as much.
How much buying power has $1,000 lost since 1920?
Kept as cash, $1,000 from 1920 buys only what $59.71 of 1920 money bought. It has lost 94% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1920?
Prices rose 15.6% in 1920. Since then the average has been 2.69% a year.

Other amounts from 1920

$1,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1920