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The 1980sWhat things cost in the 1980s
Gas, homes, wages and stamps year by year from 1980 to 1989, with what a dollar from each year is worth in 2025.
80s
59%Rise in average prices (CPI-U) from 1980 to 1990
$1.19 → $1.00Average gallon of regular gas, 1980 to 1989
$3.10 → $3.35Federal minimum wage, 1980 to 1989
Prices in the 1980s, year by year
| Year | $1 then in 2025 | Gas / gal | Median home | Min. wage | Stamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $3.91 | $1.19 | $63,700 | $3.10 | 15¢ |
| 1981 | $3.54 | $1.31 | $66,800 | $3.35 | 20¢ |
| 1982 | $3.34 | $1.22 | $66,400 | $3.35 | 20¢ |
| 1983 | $3.23 | $1.16 | $73,300 | $3.35 | 20¢ |
| 1984 | $3.10 | $1.13 | $78,200 | $3.35 | 20¢ |
| 1985 | $2.99 | $1.11 | $82,800 | $3.35 | 22¢ |
| 1986 | $2.94 | $0.86 | $88,000 | $3.35 | 22¢ |
| 1987 | $2.83 | $0.90 | $97,900 | $3.35 | 22¢ |
| 1988 | $2.72 | $0.90 | $110,000 | $3.35 | 25¢ |
| 1989 | $2.60 | $1.00 | $118,000 | $3.35 | 25¢ |
Gas prices from 1949 to 1990 are for leaded regular; from 1992 on they are for regular gasoline of all formulations. No comparable figure is published for 1991.
The median sales price of a house sold in the U.S. went from $63,700 in 1980 to $118,000 in 1989.
Taken together, $1 in 1980 buys about as much as $3.91 did in 2025, so a $1.19 gallon of gas in 1980 is roughly $4.65 in 2025 money.
Things from the 1980s that are mostly gone
Sources: BLS CPI-U; EIA gasoline prices; Census/HUD median sales price (first quarter); U.S. Department of Labor; USPS. See Sources.