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The 1990sWhat things cost in the 1990s
Gas, homes, wages and stamps year by year from 1990 to 1999, with what a dollar from each year is worth in 2025.
90s
32%Rise in average prices (CPI-U) from 1990 to 2000
$1.15 → $1.14Average gallon of regular gas, 1990 to 1999
$3.80 → $5.15Federal minimum wage, 1990 to 1999
Prices in the 1990s, year by year
| Year | $1 then in 2025 | Gas / gal | Median home | Min. wage | Stamp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | $2.46 | $1.15 | $123,900 | $3.80 | 25¢ |
| 1991 | $2.36 | – | $120,000 | $4.25 | 29¢ |
| 1992 | $2.29 | $1.09 | $119,500 | $4.25 | 29¢ |
| 1993 | $2.23 | $1.07 | $125,000 | $4.25 | 29¢ |
| 1994 | $2.17 | $1.07 | $130,000 | $4.25 | 29¢ |
| 1995 | $2.11 | $1.11 | $130,000 | $4.25 | 32¢ |
| 1996 | $2.05 | $1.20 | $137,000 | $4.75 | 32¢ |
| 1997 | $2.01 | $1.20 | $145,000 | $5.15 | 32¢ |
| 1998 | $1.97 | $1.03 | $152,200 | $5.15 | 32¢ |
| 1999 | $1.93 | $1.14 | $157,400 | $5.15 | 33¢ |
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 $123,900 in 1990 to $157,400 in 1999.
Taken together, $1 in 1990 buys about as much as $2.46 did in 2025, so a $1.15 gallon of gas in 1990 is roughly $2.83 in 2025 money.
Things from the 1990s 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.