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2001: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 2001, a gallon of gas cost $1.46, a gallon of milk was $2.88, a stamp was 34¢ and the median house sold for $173,100. If you were born in 2001, you turn 25 in 2026. Here's how 2001 prices compare with today.

Born in
2001
Gen Z
🏠House$173,100Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$1.46Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$2.88Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs93¢Today: $2.27
🍞Bread100¢Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$3.09Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp34¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “Hanging by a Moment”
Lifehouse

Prices in 2001 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 2001 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.

Item2001In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$173,100$329,391$393,300
+127%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$1.46$2.78$4.48
+207%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$2.88$5.49$4.11
+42%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen93¢$1.77$2.27
+145%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound100¢$1.90$1.83
+83%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$3.09$5.89$9.33
+202%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter34¢65¢82¢
+141%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential8.6¢16.4¢18.3¢
+113%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$5.15$9.80$7.25
+41%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$14.76$28.08$30.21
+105%
👪 Median family incomeper year$51,400$97,809$110,500
+115%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$1.71$3.26$6.79
+296%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$3.25$6.19$6.76
+108%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.10$2.10$2.06
+87%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$4.03$7.66$6.13
+52%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound51¢96¢66¢
+29%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.32$2.51$1.99
+51%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound43¢83¢$1.02
+135%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound30¢57¢55¢
+80%

2001 at a glance

Turning this year25 years old
GenerationGen Z
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
U.S. population285.2 million
$1 back then is worth$1.90 today
#1 album1 – The Beatles
🎵
Song of the year
“Hanging by a Moment”
Lifehouse · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 2001

How much was a gallon of gas in 2001?

Regular gasoline averaged $1.46 a gallon in 2001 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.78 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 2001?

A first-class stamp cost 34¢ in 2001. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 2001?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2001 was $173,100, about $329,391 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 2001?

The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 2001, worth about $9.80 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 2001?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.88 in 2001. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 2001?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged 93¢ in 2001. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 2001?

Billboard's top song of 2001 was “Hanging by a Moment” by Lifehouse.

How much is $1 from 2001 worth today?

$1 in 2001 buys about as much as $1.90 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.