Perry Como
Prices in 1946 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 1946 price for inflation (CPI-U, Sep 2026). If today's price is higher than that, the item really did get more expensive, not just the dollar.
| Item | 1946 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 🥛 Half-gallon of whole milkper half-gallon | 35¢ | $2.05 +483% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | 59¢ | $2.27 +288% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | 10¢ | $1.83 +1,660% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | 34¢ | $9.33 +2,613% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 3¢ | 82¢ +2,633% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | 40¢ | $7.25 +1,712% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | 95¢ | $30.21 +3,090% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | 53¢ | $6.76 +1,168% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 12¢ | 66¢ +466% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 7.7¢ | $1.02 +1,223% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 7.1¢ | 55¢ +668% |
1946 at a glance
Questions people ask about 1946
How much was a postage stamp in 1946?
A first-class stamp cost 3¢ in 1946. Today it costs 82¢.
What was the minimum wage in 1946?
The federal minimum wage was 40¢ an hour in 1946, worth about $6.91 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 1946?
A half-gallon of whole milk averaged 35¢ in 1946. Today: $2.05.
How much were eggs in 1946?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged 59¢ in 1946. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 1946?
Billboard's top song of 1946 was “Prisoner of Love” by Perry Como.
How much is $1 from 1946 worth today?
$1 in 1946 buys about as much as $17.26 did in Sep 2026, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data (U.S. city average) (from 1980); Before 1980: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics retail food prices as published by the U.S. Census Bureau (Historical Statistics of the United States, Series E 187–202, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States); U.S. Postal Service rate history (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Department of Labor (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics; Billboard Year-End Hot 100. How we calculate these.
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