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2009: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 2009, a gallon of gas cost $2.35, a gallon of milk was $3.11, a stamp was 44¢ and the median house sold for $215,700. If you were born in 2009, you turn 17 in 2026. Here's how 2009 prices compare with today.

Born in
2009
Gen Z
🏠House$215,700Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$2.35Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$3.11Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs$1.66Today: $2.27
🍞Bread$1.39Today: $1.83
✉️Stamp44¢Today: 82¢
💡Electricity11.5¢Today: 18.3¢
🎵 #1 song: “Boom Boom Pow”
The Black Eyed Peas

Prices in 2009 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 2009 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.

Item2009In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$215,700$338,767$393,300
+82%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$2.35$3.69$4.48
+91%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$3.11$4.88$4.11
+32%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen$1.66$2.61$2.27
+37%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound$1.39$2.18$1.83
+32%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter44¢69¢82¢
+86%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential11.5¢18.1¢18.3¢
+59%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$6.55$10.29$7.25
+11%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$18.24$28.65$30.21
+66%
👪 Median family incomeper year$60,100$94,390$110,500
+84%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$2.22$3.49$6.79
+206%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$3.61$5.67$6.76
+87%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.28$2.01$2.06
+62%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$4.67$7.33$6.13
+31%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound61¢96¢66¢
+7%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.62$2.55$1.99
+23%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound57¢90¢$1.02
+79%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound50¢79¢55¢
+9%

2009 at a glance

Turning this year17 years old
GenerationGen Z
PresidentBarack Obama
U.S. population307.2 million
$1 back then is worth$1.57 today
#1 albumFearless – Taylor Swift
🎵
Song of the year
“Boom Boom Pow”
The Black Eyed Peas · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 2009

How much was a gallon of gas in 2009?

Regular gasoline averaged $2.35 a gallon in 2009 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $3.69 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 2009?

A first-class stamp cost 44¢ in 2009. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 2009?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2009 was $215,700, about $338,767 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 2009?

The federal minimum wage was $6.55 an hour in 2009, worth about $10.29 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 2009?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $3.11 in 2009. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 2009?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.66 in 2009. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 2009?

Billboard's top song of 2009 was “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas.

How much is $1 from 2009 worth today?

$1 in 2009 buys about as much as $1.57 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.