According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in San Francisco, California are 2,751% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $6,665,350.86 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:San Francisco experienced an average inflation rate of 3.97% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $242,288 in San Francisco in the year 1940 would cost $6,907,638.86 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation in San Francisco was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.20%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in San Francisco during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in San Francisco was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in San Francisco, over time, for $242,288 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $242,288.00 | -0.20% |
| 1941 | $255,526.91 | 5.46% |
| 1942 | $286,311.36 | 12.05% |
| 1943 | $305,292.45 | 6.63% |
| 1944 | $313,108.19 | 2.56% |
| 1945 | $321,880.96 | 2.80% |
| 1946 | $347,401.75 | 7.93% |
| 1947 | $392,063.14 | 12.86% |
| 1948 | $420,295.51 | 7.20% |
| 1949 | $421,890.56 | 0.38% |
| 1950 | $419,657.49 | -0.53% |
| 1951 | $452,515.51 | 7.83% |
| 1952 | $470,380.06 | 3.95% |
| 1953 | $478,993.33 | 1.83% |
| 1954 | $479,950.36 | 0.20% |
| 1955 | $476,600.75 | -0.70% |
| 1956 | $485,373.52 | 1.84% |
| 1957 | $505,949.66 | 4.24% |
| 1958 | $524,611.74 | 3.69% |
| 1959 | $534,820.06 | 1.95% |
| 1960 | $545,825.90 | 2.06% |
| 1961 | $553,003.62 | 1.32% |
| 1962 | $561,457.38 | 1.53% |
| 1963 | $569,432.63 | 1.42% |
| 1964 | $578,205.40 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $589,051.73 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $603,407.18 | 2.44% |
| 1967 | $620,474.21 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $647,909.06 | 4.42% |
| 1969 | $682,043.11 | 5.27% |
| 1970 | $718,569.74 | 5.36% |
| 1971 | $745,845.09 | 3.80% |
| 1972 | $771,844.39 | 3.49% |
| 1973 | $814,751.22 | 5.56% |
| 1974 | $890,675.57 | 9.32% |
| 1975 | $983,826.45 | 10.46% |
| 1976 | $1,041,567.24 | 5.87% |
| 1977 | $1,117,491.59 | 7.29% |
| 1978 | $1,227,550.00 | 9.85% |
| 1979 | $1,328,357.12 | 8.21% |
| 1980 | $1,533,161.46 | 15.42% |
| 1981 | $1,726,321.94 | 12.60% |
| 1982 | $1,867,802.82 | 8.20% |
| 1983 | $1,880,244.20 | 0.67% |
| 1984 | $1,986,474.49 | 5.65% |
| 1985 | $2,071,012.11 | 4.26% |
| 1986 | $2,135,452.10 | 3.11% |
| 1987 | $2,208,664.87 | 3.43% |
| 1988 | $2,306,441.40 | 4.43% |
| 1989 | $2,418,413.86 | 4.85% |
| 1990 | $2,527,515.24 | 4.51% |
| 1991 | $2,639,647.21 | 4.44% |
| 1992 | $2,727,534.43 | 3.33% |
| 1993 | $2,801,066.21 | 2.70% |
| 1994 | $2,845,249.07 | 1.58% |
| 1995 | $2,901,075.80 | 1.96% |
| 1996 | $2,968,067.88 | 2.31% |
| 1997 | $3,069,832.03 | 3.43% |
| 1998 | $3,164,896.97 | 3.10% |
| 1999 | $3,295,531.51 | 4.13% |
| 2000 | $3,441,159.52 | 4.42% |
| 2001 | $3,630,172.87 | 5.49% |
| 2002 | $3,691,582.27 | 1.69% |
| 2003 | $3,758,414.84 | 1.81% |
| 2004 | $3,801,959.69 | 1.16% |
| 2005 | $3,876,767.50 | 1.97% |
| 2006 | $3,999,426.80 | 3.16% |
| 2007 | $4,128,895.36 | 3.24% |
| 2008 | $4,263,913.10 | 3.27% |
| 2009 | $4,290,515.34 | 0.62% |
| 2010 | $4,351,171.88 | 1.41% |
| 2011 | $4,461,925.72 | 2.55% |
| 2012 | $4,582,911.81 | 2.71% |
| 2013 | $4,684,972.64 | 2.23% |
| 2014 | $4,817,929.58 | 2.84% |
| 2015 | $4,941,035.49 | 2.56% |
| 2016 | $5,092,198.32 | 3.06% |
| 2017 | $5,258,656.08 | 3.27% |
| 2018 | $5,460,760.00 | 3.84% |
| 2019 | $5,642,236.74 | 3.32% |
| 2020 | $5,741,193.60 | 1.75% |
| 2021 | $5,924,369.07 | 3.19% |
| 2022 | $6,252,780.17 | 5.54% |
| 2023 | $6,484,215.45 | 3.70% |
| 2024 | $6,667,561.59 | 2.83% |
| 2025 | $6,813,628.24 | 2.19% |
| 2026 | $6,907,638.86 | 1.38%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for San Francisco, California:
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 9.200 | 9.200 | 9.267 | 10.133 | 11.808 | 14.583 | 16.917 | 15.567 | 14.667 | 14.633 | 14.708 | 14.992 | 15.125 | 14.992 | 14.858 | 14.892 | 14.683 | 13.600 | 12.475 | 11.858 | 12.208 | 12.433 | 12.350 | 12.775 | 12.833 | 12.683 | 12.658 | 13.350 | 14.958 | 15.950 | 16.358 | 16.817 | 18.150 | 20.483 | 21.958 | 22.042 | 21.925 | 23.642 | 24.575 | 25.025 | 25.075 | 24.900 | 25.358 | 26.433 | 27.408 | 27.942 | 28.517 | 28.892 | 29.333 | 29.750 | 30.208 | 30.775 | 31.525 | 32.417 | 33.850 | 35.633 | 37.542 | 38.967 | 40.325 | 42.567 | 46.533 | 51.400 | 54.417 | 58.383 | 64.133 | 69.400 | 80.100 | 90.192 | 97.583 | 98.233 | 103.783 | 108.200 | 111.567 | 115.392 | 120.500 | 126.350 | 132.050 | 137.908 | 142.500 | 146.342 | 148.650 | 151.567 | 155.067 | 160.383 | 165.350 | 172.175 | 179.783 | 189.658 | 192.867 | 196.358 | 198.633 | 202.542 | 208.950 | 215.714 | 222.768 | 224.158 | 227.327 | 233.113 | 239.434 | 244.766 | 251.713 | 258.144 | 266.042 | 274.738 | 285.297 | 294.779 | 299.949 | 309.519 | 326.676 | 338.768 | 348.347 | 355.978 | 360.889 |