☕ Pound of ground coffee by Year (1946–2025)
In 1946 it cost 34¢ (per pound). In 2025 it was $8.18, and the latest figure (Sep 2026) is $9.33. Adjusted for inflation, it was cheapest in 2004 and most expensive in 1977.
| Year | Price then | In today's money |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $8.18 | $8.56 |
| 2024 | $6.32 | $6.79 |
| 2023 | $6.16 | $6.81 |
| 2022 | $5.89 | $6.78 |
| 2021 | $4.71 | $5.85 |
| 2020 | $4.43 | $5.77 |
| 2018 | $4.30 | $5.77 |
| 2017 | $4.45 | $6.12 |
| 2016 | $4.39 | $6.17 |
| 2015 | $4.72 | $6.71 |
| 2014 | $4.99 | $7.10 |
| 2013 | $5.45 | $7.89 |
| 2012 | $5.68 | $8.33 |
| 2011 | $5.19 | $7.78 |
| 2010 | $3.91 | $6.04 |
| 2007 | $3.47 | $5.64 |
| 2006 | $3.20 | $5.35 |
| 2005 | $3.26 | $5.63 |
| 2004 | $2.85 | $5.08 |
| 2003 | $2.92 | $5.34 |
| 2002 | $2.92 | $5.48 |
| 2001 | $3.09 | $5.89 |
| 2000 | $3.45 | $6.75 |
| 1999 | $3.43 | $6.93 |
| 1998 | $3.77 | $7.78 |
| 1997 | $4.11 | $8.63 |
| 1996 | $3.43 | $7.37 |
| 1995 | $4.04 | $8.93 |
| 1994 | $3.40 | $7.73 |
| 1993 | $2.47 | $5.77 |
| 1992 | $2.58 | $6.19 |
| 1991 | $2.81 | $6.95 |
| 1990 | $2.97 | $7.65 |
| 1989 | $3.07 | $8.35 |
| 1988 | $2.77 | $7.89 |
| 1987 | $2.79 | $8.26 |
| 1986 | $3.43 | $10.55 |
| 1985 | $2.58 | $8.08 |
| 1984 | $2.58 | $8.36 |
| 1983 | $2.47 | $8.34 |
| 1982 | $2.52 | $8.81 |
| 1981 | $2.53 | $9.36 |
| 1980 | $3.14 | $12.85 |
| 1977 | $3.47 | $19.30 |
| 1976 | $1.87 | $11.09 |
| 1975 | $1.33 | $8.35 |
| 1974 | $1.23 | $8.40 |
| 1973 | $1.04 | $7.89 |
| 1972 | 93¢ | $7.47 |
| 1971 | 93¢ | $7.77 |
| 1970 | 91¢ | $7.91 |
| 1969 | 77¢ | $7.03 |
| 1968 | 76¢ | $7.40 |
| 1967 | 77¢ | $7.77 |
| 1966 | 82¢ | $8.54 |
| 1965 | 83¢ | $8.91 |
| 1964 | 82¢ | $8.86 |
| 1963 | 69¢ | $7.64 |
| 1962 | 71¢ | $7.89 |
| 1961 | 74¢ | $8.30 |
| 1960 | 75¢ | $8.58 |
| 1959 | 78¢ | $9.02 |
| 1958 | 91¢ | $10.59 |
| 1957 | $1.02 | $12.20 |
| 1956 | $1.03 | $12.82 |
| 1955 | 93¢ | $11.70 |
| 1954 | $1.11 | $13.90 |
| 1953 | 89¢ | $11.23 |
| 1952 | 87¢ | $11.02 |
| 1951 | 87¢ | $11.27 |
| 1950 | 79¢ | $11.12 |
| 1949 | 55¢ | $7.84 |
| 1948 | 51¢ | $7.20 |
| 1947 | 47¢ | $7.08 |
| 1946 | 34¢ | $5.94 |
How to read this
“Price then” is the average for that year. “In today's money” converts it to Sep 2026 dollars with the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), so you can see whether coffee really got pricier or the dollar just shrank.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data (U.S. city average) (from 1980); Before 1980: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics retail food prices as published by the U.S. Census Bureau (Historical Statistics of the United States, Series E 187–202, and the Statistical Abstract of the United States) (series APU0000717311). Yearly figures are averages of the monthly or quarterly data.
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