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2016: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 2016, a gallon of gas cost $2.14, a gallon of milk was $3.20, a stamp was 47¢ and the median house sold for $305,100. If you were born in 2016, you turn 10 in 2026. Here's how 2016 prices compare with today.

Born in
2016
Gen Alpha
🏠House$305,100Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$2.14Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$3.20Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs$1.68Today: $2.27
🍞Bread$1.37Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$4.39Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp47¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “Love Yourself”
Justin Bieber

Prices in 2016 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 2016 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.

Item2016In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$305,100$428,322$393,300
+29%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$2.14$3.01$4.48
+109%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$3.20$4.50$4.11
+28%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen$1.68$2.36$2.27
+35%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound$1.37$1.92$1.83
+33%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$4.39$6.17$9.33
+112%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter47¢66¢82¢
+74%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential12.6¢17.7¢18.3¢
+45%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$7.25$10.18$7.25
+0%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$20.44$28.69$30.21
+48%
👪 Median family incomeper year$72,700$102,062$110,500
+52%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$3.75$5.26$6.79
+81%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$5.42$7.61$6.76
+25%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.46$2.06$2.06
+41%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$5.24$7.35$6.13
+17%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound57¢80¢66¢
+14%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.93$2.70$1.99
+3%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound64¢90¢$1.02
+59%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound53¢74¢55¢
+4%

2016 at a glance

Turning this year10 years old
GenerationGen Alpha
PresidentBarack Obama
U.S. population324.6 million
$1 back then is worth$1.40 today
#1 album25 – Adele
🎵
Song of the year
“Love Yourself”
Justin Bieber · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 2016

How much was a gallon of gas in 2016?

Regular gasoline averaged $2.14 a gallon in 2016 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $3.01 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 2016?

A first-class stamp cost 47¢ in 2016. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 2016?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2016 was $305,100, about $428,322 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 2016?

The federal minimum wage was $7.25 an hour in 2016, worth about $10.18 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 2016?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $3.20 in 2016. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 2016?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.68 in 2016. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 2016?

Billboard's top song of 2016 was “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber.

How much is $1 from 2016 worth today?

$1 in 2016 buys about as much as $1.40 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.