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2002: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 2002, a gallon of gas cost $1.36, a gallon of milk was $2.76, a stamp was 37¢ and the median house sold for $186,000. If you were born in 2002, you turn 24 in 2026. Here's how 2002 prices compare with today.

Born in
2002
Gen Z
🏠House$186,000Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$1.36Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$2.76Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs$1.03Today: $2.27
🍞Bread$1.02Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$2.92Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp37¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “How You Remind Me”
Nickelback

Prices in 2002 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 2002 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.

Item2002In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$186,000$348,413$393,300
+111%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$1.36$2.54$4.48
+230%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$2.76$5.16$4.11
+49%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen$1.03$1.93$2.27
+120%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound$1.02$1.90$1.83
+80%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$2.92$5.48$9.33
+219%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter37¢69¢82¢
+122%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential8.4¢15.7¢18.3¢
+118%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$5.15$9.65$7.25
+41%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$15.29$28.64$30.21
+98%
👪 Median family incomeper year$51,700$96,844$110,500
+114%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$1.71$3.21$6.79
+296%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$3.24$6.06$6.76
+109%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.07$2.01$2.06
+92%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$4.22$7.90$6.13
+45%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound51¢95¢66¢
+29%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.32$2.48$1.99
+50%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound43¢81¢$1.02
+136%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound31¢58¢55¢
+75%

2002 at a glance

Turning this year24 years old
GenerationGen Z
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
U.S. population288.0 million
$1 back then is worth$1.87 today
#1 albumThe Eminem Show – Eminem
🎵
Song of the year
“How You Remind Me”
Nickelback · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 2002

How much was a gallon of gas in 2002?

Regular gasoline averaged $1.36 a gallon in 2002 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.54 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 2002?

A first-class stamp cost 37¢ in 2002. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 2002?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2002 was $186,000, about $348,413 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 2002?

The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 2002, worth about $9.65 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 2002?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.76 in 2002. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 2002?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.03 in 2002. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 2002?

Billboard's top song of 2002 was “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback.

How much is $1 from 2002 worth today?

$1 in 2002 buys about as much as $1.87 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.