Daniel Powter
Prices in 2006 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 2006 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 | 2006 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price | $243,800 | $393,300 +61% |
| ⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon | $2.59 | $4.48 +73% |
| 🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon | $3.08 | $4.11 +33% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | $1.31 | $2.27 +74% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | $1.08 | $1.83 +69% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | $3.20 | $9.33 +191% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 39¢ | 82¢ +110% |
| 💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential | 10.4¢ | 18.3¢ +76% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | $5.15 | $7.25 +41% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | $16.81 | $30.21 +80% |
| 👪 Median family incomeper year | $58,400 | $110,500 +89% |
| 🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound | $2.22 | $6.79 +206% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | $3.44 | $6.76 +96% |
| 🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound | $1.05 | $2.06 +97% |
| 🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound | $4.25 | $6.13 +44% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 50¢ | 66¢ +31% |
| 🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound | $1.73 | $1.99 +15% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 50¢ | $1.02 +105% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 33¢ | 55¢ +66% |
2006 at a glance
Questions people ask about 2006
How much was a gallon of gas in 2006?
Regular gasoline averaged $2.59 a gallon in 2006 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $4.33 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.
How much was a postage stamp in 2006?
A first-class stamp cost 39¢ in 2006. Today it costs 82¢.
How much did a house cost in 2006?
The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2006 was $243,800, about $407,486 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.
What was the minimum wage in 2006?
The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 2006, worth about $8.61 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 2006?
A gallon of whole milk averaged $3.08 in 2006. Today: $4.11.
How much were eggs in 2006?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.31 in 2006. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 2006?
Billboard's top song of 2006 was “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter.
How much is $1 from 2006 worth today?
$1 in 2006 buys about as much as $1.67 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.
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