1985 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+79.6%
Median Home
+120.7%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.03 | +28% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.02 | +84% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $1.36 | +13% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $1.71 | +38% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.07 | +41% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.24 | +67% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.92 | +13% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $3.73 | +62% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +12% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $4,081 | +210% | 116.1h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $22,871 | +100% | 1008.3h | 1121.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $629 | +79% | 31.0h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $40.59 | +18% | 3.0h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 200.2h
harder
1008.3h → 1121.7h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
31.0h → 30.8h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $39,484 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 179.9).