Nat King Cole
Prices in 1951 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 1951 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 | 1951 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| ⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon | 27¢ | $4.48 +1,548% |
| 🥛 Half-gallon of whole milkper half-gallon | 46¢ | $2.05 +344% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | 74¢ | $2.27 +208% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | 16¢ | $1.83 +1,066% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | 87¢ | $9.33 +975% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 3¢ | 82¢ +2,633% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | 75¢ | $7.25 +867% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | $1.45 | $30.21 +1,988% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | 67¢ | $6.76 +905% |
| 🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound | 62¢ | $2.06 +234% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 16¢ | 66¢ +302% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 10¢ | $1.02 +909% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 10¢ | 55¢ +424% |
1951 at a glance
Questions people ask about 1951
How much was a gallon of gas in 1951?
Regular gasoline averaged 27¢ a gallon in 1951 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $3.53 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.
How much was a postage stamp in 1951?
A first-class stamp cost 3¢ in 1951. Today it costs 82¢.
What was the minimum wage in 1951?
The federal minimum wage was 75¢ an hour in 1951, worth about $9.74 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 1951?
A half-gallon of whole milk averaged 46¢ in 1951. Today: $2.05.
How much were eggs in 1951?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged 74¢ in 1951. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 1951?
Billboard's top song of 1951 was “Too Young” by Nat King Cole.
How much is $1 from 1951 worth today?
$1 in 1951 buys about as much as $12.98 did in Sep 2026, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (regular gasoline, U.S. city average retail price incl. taxes; leaded until 1975, unleaded from 1976); 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.
Get tomorrow's year in your inbox
One short email each morning around 7am Eastern: the new daily game and one surprising price from the past. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.