United States · 1840
$20 in 1840 =
$1,309today
×65.44+6444.0% inflation1840 → 2026
Life in 1840
In 1840, United States's average annual wage was approximately $110. This means $20 represented roughly 9.5 weeks of average earnings — a significant sum. To put this in perspective, a loaf of bread cost approximately $0.025 and typical monthly rent was around $1.8.
What you could buy
$20 in 1840
Loaf of bread
800×Milk (gallon)
200×Monthly rent
11×$1,309 in 2026
Loaf of bread
291×Milk (gallon)
323×Monthly rent
0×Gasoline (gallon)
379×These calculations are estimates based on United States's Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U; Warren & Pearson (pre-1913); Federal Reserve. Pre-1913 values reconstructed from commodity price indices. Civil War inflation 1861–1865 reflected. Results may differ from other inflation calculators due to methodology differences. See our Methodology and Sources pages for full details.