1987 vs 2019
The Cost of Living Comparison
Median Income
$26,060
→
$68,700
+163.6%
Median Home
$104,700
→
$320,250
+205.9%
Housing Labor
4.0yr
→
4.7yr
1.2x harder
📊 Full Item Comparison
| Item | 1987 Price | 2019 Price | Change | Hours 1987 | Hours 2019 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggs | $0.78 | $1.40 | +78% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🍞 Bread | $0.55 | $1.30 | +137% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| ⛽ Gas | $0.95 | $2.64 | +178% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🥩 Ground Beef | $1.31 | $3.81 | +191% | 0.1h | 0.1h | Harder |
| 🐔 Chicken | $0.78 | $1.50 | +90% | 0.1h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🥓 Bacon | $2.14 | $5.61 | +162% | 0.2h | 0.2h | Easier |
| ☕ Coffee | $2.79 | $4.14 | +49% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| 🍊 Oranges | $2.46 | $4.81 | +96% | 0.2h | 0.1h | Easier |
| ⚡ Electricity | $0.08 | $0.14 | +73% | 0.0h | 0.0h | Easier |
| 🎓 College Tuition | $1,537 | $9,349 | +508% | 122.7h | 283.1h | Harder |
| 🚗 New Car | $12,922 | $38,723 | +200% | 1031.4h | 1172.4h | Harder |
| 🏠 Monthly Rent | $388 | $1,043 | +169% | 31.0h | 31.6h | Harder |
| 🏥 Doctor Visit | $28.03 | $81.15 | +190% | 2.2h | 2.5h | Harder |
📈 Got Harder to Earn
Items where labor hours increased from 1987 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
🎓
College Tuition
122.7h → 283.1h
2.3x
harder
🚗
New Car
1031.4h → 1172.4h
1.1x
harder
🥩
Ground Beef
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
🏥
Doctor Visit
2.2h → 2.5h
1.1x
harder
⛽
Gas
0.1h → 0.1h
1.1x
harder
🏠
Monthly Rent
31.0h → 31.6h
1.0x
harder
📉 Got Easier to Earn
Items where labor hours decreased from 1987 to 2019, sorted by magnitude.
💵 Purchasing Power
If you earned the median income in 1987 ($26,060), you'd need $58,638 in 2019 to maintain the same lifestyle.
Based on CPI adjustment (113.6 → 255.7).