1987 vs 2004
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
+70.1%
Median Home
+108.4%
Housing Labor
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2004 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2004 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.34 | +71% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $0.97 | +77% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Harder |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $1.88 | +98% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $2.16 | +65% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.07 | +36% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $3.38 | +58% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $2.85 | +2% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $3.84 | +56% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.09 | +19% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $5,027 | +227% | 122.7h | 235.9h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $23,686 | +83% | 1031.4h | 1111.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $665 | +71% | 31.0h | 31.2h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $55.93 | +100% | 2.2h | 2.6h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
122.7h → 235.9h
harder
2.2h → 2.6h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
1031.4h → 1111.4h
harder
0.0h → 0.0h
harder
31.0h → 31.2h
harder
0.1h → 0.1h
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2004, sorted by magnitude.
0.2h → 0.1h
easier
0.0h → 0.0h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.2h → 0.2h
easier
0.1h → 0.1h
easier
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $43,329 in 2004 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 188.9).