The $42,410 Salary in 2002:
What It Really Bought
A complete breakdown of purchasing power across all salary tiers — then vs. now.
Purchasing Power Gap
Earning $42,410 in 2002 had the purchasing power of
$73,965
in today's dollars.
Median Home (2002)
$186,025
Median Home (Today)
$418,975
Salary Tier Breakdown
| Salary | Inflation-Adjusted Today | Yrs for Home (2002) | Yrs for Home (Today) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $52,322 | 6.2 yrs | 14.0 yrs | Much harder today |
| $40,000 | $69,762 | 4.7 yrs | 10.5 yrs | Much harder today |
| $50,000 | $87,203 | 3.7 yrs | 8.4 yrs | Much harder today |
| $60,000 | $104,643 | 3.1 yrs | 7.0 yrs | Much harder today |
| $75,000 | $130,804 | 2.5 yrs | 5.6 yrs | Much harder today |
| $100,000 | $174,406 | 1.9 yrs | 4.2 yrs | Much harder today |
What Your $42,410 Salary Bought
How many units of each item one year's median salary could buy in 2002 vs. today's $83,730 median income.
🥩 Ground Beef
-37%2002 Salary Bought
24,761
lbs @ $1.71
Today's Salary Buys
15,526
lbs @ $5.39
🥚 Eggs
-36%2002 Salary Bought
41,095
dozens @ $1.03
Today's Salary Buys
26,401
dozens @ $3.17
🎓 College Tuition
-26%2002 Salary Bought
10
years @ $4,081
Today's Salary Buys
8
years @ $10,940
🏥 Doctor Visit
-23%2002 Salary Bought
1,045
visits @ $40.59
Today's Salary Buys
809
visits @ $104
⛽ Gas
-22%2002 Salary Bought
31,241
gallons @ $1.36
Today's Salary Buys
24,278
gallons @ $3.45
🍬 Sugar
-10%2002 Salary Bought
6,805
lbs @ $6.23
Today's Salary Buys
6,097
lbs @ $13.73
☕ Coffee
-9%2002 Salary Bought
14,505
lbs @ $2.92
Today's Salary Buys
13,244
lbs @ $6.32
🚗 New Car
-7%2002 Salary Bought
2
units @ $22,871
Today's Salary Buys
2
units @ $48,397
🏠 Monthly Rent
-6%2002 Salary Bought
67
months @ $629
Today's Salary Buys
63
months @ $1,323
🥓 Bacon
-6%2002 Salary Bought
13,105
lbs @ $3.24
Today's Salary Buys
12,356
lbs @ $6.78
🍞 Bread
~Same2002 Salary Bought
41,759
loafs @ $1.02
Today's Salary Buys
42,494
loafs @ $1.97
⚡ Electricity
~Same2002 Salary Bought
465,618
KWHs @ $0.09
Today's Salary Buys
476,641
KWHs @ $0.18
🐔 Chicken
+6%2002 Salary Bought
39,491
lbs @ $1.07
Today's Salary Buys
41,898
lbs @ $2.00
🎬 Movie Ticket
+7%2002 Salary Bought
7,395
tickets @ $5.73
Today's Salary Buys
7,905
tickets @ $10.59
🍊 Oranges
+20%2002 Salary Bought
11,360
lbs @ $3.73
Today's Salary Buys
13,653
lbs @ $6.13
🥛 Milk
+37%2002 Salary Bought
15,381
gallons @ $2.76
Today's Salary Buys
21,017
gallons @ $3.98
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