HarderToEarn.com

2001 vs 2016

The Cost of Living Comparison

Median Income

$42,230 $59,040

+39.8%

Median Home

$173,100 $305,125

+76.3%

Housing Labor

4.1yr 5.2yr

1.3x harder

📊 Full Item Comparison

Item 2001 Price 2016 Price Change Hours 2001 Hours 2016 Verdict
🥚 Eggs $0.93 $1.68 +81% 0.0h 0.1h Harder
🍞 Bread $1.00 $1.37 +37% 0.0h 0.0h Easier
🥛 Milk $2.88 $3.20 +11% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
⛽ Gas $1.46 $2.14 +47% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🥩 Ground Beef $1.71 $3.75 +119% 0.1h 0.1h Harder
🐔 Chicken $1.11 $1.46 +32% 0.1h 0.1h Easier
🥓 Bacon $3.25 $5.42 +67% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
☕ Coffee $3.09 $4.39 +42% 0.2h 0.2h Harder
🍊 Oranges $3.70 $4.76 +29% 0.2h 0.2h Easier
🍬 Sugar $5.96 $12.33 +107% 0.3h 0.4h Harder
⚡ Electricity $0.09 $0.14 +46% 0.0h 0.0h Harder
🎓 College Tuition $3,735 $8,804 +136% 184.0h 310.2h Harder
🚗 New Car $22,457 $35,309 +57% 1106.1h 1243.9h Harder
🏠 Monthly Rent $605 $935 +55% 29.8h 32.9h Harder
🏥 Doctor Visit $43.32 $65.64 +52% 2.1h 2.3h Harder
🎬 Movie Ticket $5.56 $8.18 +47% 0.3h 0.3h Harder

📈 Got Harder to Earn

Items where labor hours increased from 2001 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.

🎓
College Tuition

184.0h → 310.2h

1.7x

harder

🥩
Ground Beef

0.1h → 0.1h

1.6x

harder

🍬
Sugar

0.3h → 0.4h

1.5x

harder

🥚
Eggs

0.0h → 0.1h

1.3x

harder

🥓
Bacon

0.2h → 0.2h

1.2x

harder

🚗
New Car

1106.1h → 1243.9h

1.1x

harder

🏠
Monthly Rent

29.8h → 32.9h

1.1x

harder

🏥
Doctor Visit

2.1h → 2.3h

1.1x

harder

🎬
Movie Ticket

0.3h → 0.3h

1.1x

harder

Gas

0.1h → 0.1h

1.0x

harder

Electricity

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

harder

Coffee

0.2h → 0.2h

1.0x

harder

📉 Got Easier to Earn

Items where labor hours decreased from 2001 to 2016, sorted by magnitude.

🥛
Milk

0.1h → 0.1h

0.8x

easier

🍊
Oranges

0.2h → 0.2h

0.9x

easier

🐔
Chicken

0.1h → 0.1h

0.9x

easier

🍞
Bread

0.0h → 0.0h

1.0x

easier

💵 Purchasing Power

If you earned the median income in 2001 ($42,230), you'd need $57,249 in 2016 to maintain the same lifestyle.

Based on CPI adjustment (177.0 → 240.0).

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