1985 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+87.7%
Median Home
+158.9%
Housing Labor
1.4x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1985 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1985 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.80 | $1.34 | +67% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.97 | +75% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $1.20 | $1.88 | +56% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.24 | $2.16 | +74% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.76 | $1.07 | +40% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $1.94 | $3.38 | +74% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.58 | $2.85 | +10% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.30 | $3.84 | +67% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +16% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,318 | $5,027 | +281% | 116.1h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $11,450 | $23,686 | +107% | 1008.3h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $352 | $665 | +89% | 31.0h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $34.50 | $55.93 | +62% | 3.0h | 2.6h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1985 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
116.1h → 235.9h
harder
1008.3h → 1111.4h
harder
31.0h → 31.2h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1985 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
3.0h → 2.6h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1985 ($23,620), you'd need $41,469 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (107.6 → 188.9).