See what things cost the year you were born.
Get free large-print price sheets that cover every year from 1930 to 1979, ready to print at home. Every price on them comes from U.S. government records.
Here's what you'll find on the sheets.
- There's one large-print sheet for each decade, from the 1930s to the 1970s, with a row for every year.
- Each row shows what a stamp, bread, milk, eggs and coffee cost that year, and from 1950 on, a gallon of gas.
- Each row also shows the minimum wage and what a factory worker earned an hour.
- You'll also find what a house cost in the census years.
- A second page for each decade adds butter, round steak, bacon and sugar, and from 1947, what the typical family earned in a year.
- All five sheets come in one PDF that prints on regular letter-size paper.
For example, the row for 1955 shows that it cost 3 cents to mail a letter. What did it cost the year you were born?
Every price comes from U.S. government records.
The prices come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, the Postal Service, the Department of Labor and the Energy Information Administration. The PDF names its sources, so you can look up any price yourself.
The price sheets come from The Old America, our YouTube channel about how ordinary Americans lived, and what it all cost.
Here are answers to a few questions you might have.
Is it really free?
Yes. There's nothing to buy, and you don't need a card, an account or a password. All we need is your email address.
Why do you ask which decade I was born in?
It lets us point you to your own decade first. You still get all five sheets. If you were born before 1930 or after 1979, choose "Another decade" and you'll get the same five sheets.
What will you email me?
First, we'll send you an email with the link to your price sheets. After that, we'll send you a new story from The Old America now and then. We keep your email address private and never sell it, and you can unsubscribe with one click from any email.
How do I print the sheets?
Open the PDF and choose Print. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the Share button, then Print. On an Android phone or tablet, tap the three dots, then Print. If you don't have a printer, most public libraries can print them for you.
Why is a price different from what I remember?
Prices changed from town to town and from store to store. The sheets show the figures in U.S. government records, so what your family paid may have been a little higher or lower.
Find the year you were born.
Your price sheets open as soon as you sign up, and we'll email you the link too.