HarderToEarn.com

1987 vs 2001

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$26,060 $42,230

+62.0%

Median Home

$104,700 $173,100

+65.3%

Housing Labor

4.0yr 4.1yr

1.0x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 1987 Price 2001 Price Change Hours 1987 Hours 2001 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.78 $0.93 +19% 0.1h 0.0h Easier
🍞 Bread $0.55 $1.00 +83% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
⛽ Gas $0.95 $1.46 +54% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥩 Ground Beef $1.31 $1.71 +31% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🐔 Chicken $0.78 $1.11 +41% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $2.14 $3.25 +52% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
☕ Coffee $2.79 $3.09 +11% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍊 Oranges $2.46 $3.70 +51% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
⚡ Electricity $0.08 $0.09 +17% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🎓 College Tuition $1,537 $3,735 +143% 122.7h 184.0h Harder
🚗 New Car $12,922 $22,457 +74% 1031.4h 1106.1h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $388 $605 +56% 31.0h 29.8h Easier
🏥 Doctor Visit $28.03 $43.32 +55% 2.2h 2.1h Easier

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

122.7h → 184.0h

1.5x

harder

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.1x

harder

🚗
New Car

1031.4h → 1106.1h

1.1x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2001, sorted by magnitude.

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

0.7x

easier

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

0.7x

easier

🥚
Eggs

0.1h → 0.0h

0.7x

easier

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

easier

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.2h → 2.1h

1.0x

easier

🏠
Monthly Rent

31.0h → 29.8h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $40,608 in 2001 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 177.0).

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