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🥛 Half-gallon of whole milk by Year (1946–1994)

In 1946 it cost 35¢ (per half-gallon). In 1994 it was $1.44, and the latest figure (Sep 2026, half of a gallon) is $2.05. Adjusted for inflation, it was cheapest in 1993 and most expensive in 1952.

0¢$1.66$3.32$4.98$6.63195019551960196519701975198019851990
Price at the timeIn today's money
YearPrice thenIn today's money
1994$1.44$3.27
1993$1.39$3.25
1992$1.39$3.34
1991$1.37$3.39
1990$1.42$3.67
1989$1.27$3.45
1988$1.16$3.32
1987$1.14$3.37
1986$1.11$3.42
1985$1.13$3.55
1984$1.13$3.66
1983$1.13$3.82
1982$1.13$3.93
1981$1.12$4.14
1980$1.05$4.29
197996¢$4.46
197886¢$4.45
197784¢$4.66
197683¢$4.90
197579¢$4.91
197478¢$5.36
197365¢$4.96
197260¢$4.82
197159¢$4.90
197057¢$4.98
196955¢$5.06
196854¢$5.20
196752¢$5.22
196650¢$5.17
196547¢$5.06
196448¢$5.18
196349¢$5.35
196249¢$5.44
196149¢$5.55
196049¢$5.63
195951¢$5.85
195851¢$5.91
195750¢$6.00
195648¢$6.00
195544¢$5.51
195446¢$5.77
195347¢$5.89
195248¢$6.14
195146¢$6.00
195039¢$5.40
194942¢$5.97
194844¢$6.11
194739¢$5.92
194635¢$6.08

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 milk (½ gal) 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 APU0000709111). Yearly figures are averages of the monthly or quarterly data.

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