$5,000 in 1982 is worth $17,356.48 today

$5,000 in 1982 has the same buying power as

$17,356.48 in August 2026

That is 247% more, an average inflation rate of 2.86% a year over 44 years.

Put the other way, $5,000 today buys what $1,440.38 bought in 1982. Cash kept under the mattress since 1982 has lost 71% of its value.

$5,000 from nearby years

$5,000 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1977$27,638.616.5%
1978$25,688.657.6%
1979$23,070.2511.3%
1980$20,326.4613.5%
1981$18,425.7410.3%
1982$17,356.486.2%
1983$16,816.273.2%
1984$16,120.314.3%
1985$15,565.993.6%
1986$15,281.931.9%
1987$14,743.843.6%

How $5,000 from 1982 grew

$0.00$5000$10K$15K$20K19902000201020202026.625: $17K
$5,000 from 1982 in each later year's dollars

$5,000 of 1982 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5,000 spent on each of these in 1982 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$17,988.60
Rent$23,731.34
Gasoline$17,496.98
Medical care$32,054.22
New cars$9,216.15
College tuition$54,680.95
Electricity$16,182.52
Clothing$6,991.41

Try a different amount or date

$5,000.00 in 1982 has the same buying power as

$17,356.48 in August 2026

Prices rose 247.1% in total, an average of 2.86% a year.

Questions

How much is $5,000 in 1982 worth today?
$5,000 in 1982 is worth $17,356.48 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5,000 in 1982?
You would need $17,356.48 to buy what $5,000 bought in 1982. That is 3.47 times as much.
How much buying power has $5,000 lost since 1982?
Kept as cash, $5,000 from 1982 buys only what $1,440.38 of 1982 money bought. It has lost 71% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1982?
Prices rose 6.2% in 1982. Since then the average has been 2.86% a year.

Other amounts from 1982

$5,000 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1982