$5 in 1966 is worth $51.69 today

$5 in 1966 has the same buying power as

$51.69 in August 2026

That is 934% more, an average inflation rate of 3.96% a year over 60 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $0.48 bought in 1966. Cash kept under the mattress since 1966 has lost 90% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1961$56.021.0%
1962$55.461.0%
1963$54.741.3%
1964$54.031.3%
1965$53.171.6%
1966$51.692.9%
1967$50.153.1%
1968$48.134.2%
1969$45.645.5%
1970$43.175.7%
1971$41.364.4%

How $5 from 1966 grew

$0.00$10$20$30$40$50$601970198019902000201020202026.625: $52
$5 from 1966 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1966 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1966 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$51.84
Rent$54.10
Gasoline$70.26
Medical care$112.74
New cars$18.38
Electricity$52.20
Clothing$13.95

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1966 has the same buying power as

$51.69 in August 2026

Prices rose 933.9% in total, an average of 3.96% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1966 worth today?
$5 in 1966 is worth $51.69 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1966?
You would need $51.69 to buy what $5 bought in 1966. That is 10.34 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1966?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1966 buys only what $0.48 of 1966 money bought. It has lost 90% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1966?
Prices rose 2.9% in 1966. Since then the average has been 3.96% a year.

Other amounts from 1966

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1966