1987 vs 2002
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+62.7%
Median Home
+77.7%
Housing Labor
1.1x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2002 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2002 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.03 | +32% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.02 | +86% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.36 | +43% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $1.71 | +31% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.07 | +37% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $3.24 | +51% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $2.92 | +5% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.73 | +52% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +15% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $4,081 | +166% | 122.7h | 200.2h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $22,871 | +77% | 1031.4h | 1121.7h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $629 | +62% | 31.0h | 30.8h | Easier |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $40.59 | +45% | 2.2h | 2.0h | Easier |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 200.2h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
1031.4h → 1121.7h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2002, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
2.2h → 2.0h
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 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $41,256 in 2002 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 179.9).