Elton John
Prices in 1997 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 1997 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 | 1997 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price | $145,000 | $393,300 +171% |
| ⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon | $1.23 | $4.48 +263% |
| 🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon | $2.61 | $4.11 +57% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | $1.06 | $2.27 +115% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | 87¢ | $1.83 +110% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | $4.11 | $9.33 +127% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 32¢ | 82¢ +156% |
| 💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential | 8.4¢ | 18.3¢ +118% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | $4.75 | $7.25 +53% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | $13.13 | $30.21 +130% |
| 👪 Median family incomeper year | $44,600 | $110,500 +148% |
| 🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound | $1.40 | $6.79 +387% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | $2.68 | $6.76 +152% |
| 🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound | $1.00 | $2.06 +106% |
| 🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound | $3.22 | $6.13 +90% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 49¢ | 66¢ +35% |
| 🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound | $1.29 | $1.99 +54% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 43¢ | $1.02 +135% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 30¢ | 55¢ +80% |
1997 at a glance
Questions people ask about 1997
How much was a gallon of gas in 1997?
Regular gasoline averaged $1.23 a gallon in 1997 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.59 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.
How much was a postage stamp in 1997?
A first-class stamp cost 32¢ in 1997. Today it costs 82¢.
How much did a house cost in 1997?
The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 1997 was $145,000, about $304,368 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.
What was the minimum wage in 1997?
The federal minimum wage was $4.75 an hour in 1997, worth about $9.97 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 1997?
A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.61 in 1997. Today: $4.11.
How much were eggs in 1997?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.06 in 1997. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 1997?
Billboard's top song of 1997 was “Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight” by Elton John.
How much is $1 from 1997 worth today?
$1 in 1997 buys about as much as $2.10 did in Sep 2026, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau & HUD, Median Sales Price of Houses Sold; 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); U.S. Postal Service rate history (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Energy Information Administration (average residential price incl. taxes); U.S. Department of Labor (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey; 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.