Transportation price inflation, 1935→2026

Transportation Inflation Calculator

Prices for Transportation, 1935-2026 ($38,500)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,791.30% higher in 2026 versus 1935 (a $689,648.87 difference in value).

Between 1935 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.28% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $38,500 in the year 1935 would cost $728,148.87 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.54% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.

Price Inflation for Transportation since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.80%), 2022 (15.47%), and 2021 (14.56%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $38,500.00 since 1935

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $38,500 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

Year	USD Value	Inflation Rate
1935	$38,500.00	-
1936	$38,635.56	0.35%
1937	$39,335.97	1.81%
1938	$39,787.85	1.15%
1939	$38,816.31	-2.44%
1940	$38,567.78	-0.64%
1941	$39,561.91	2.58%
1942	$43,176.94	9.14%
1943	$43,222.12	0.10%
1944	$43,109.15	-0.26%
1945	$43,109.15	0.00% **
1946	$44,916.67	4.19%
1947	$50,022.89	11.37%
1948	$55,784.33	11.52%
1949	$59,964.20	7.49%
1950	$61,500.59	2.56%
1951	$65,454.52	6.43%
1952	$69,769.95	6.59%
1953	$71,758.22	2.85%
1954	$70,718.90	-1.45%
1955	$69,860.33	-1.21%
1956	$71,125.59	1.81%
1957	$75,079.52	5.56%
1958	$77,564.85	3.31%
1959	$80,773.18	4.14%
1960	$80,750.59	-0.03%
1961	$81,676.94	1.15%
1962	$83,371.48	2.07%
1963	$83,845.95	0.57%
1964	$85,088.62	1.48%
1965	$86,489.44	1.65%
1966	$87,732.10	1.44%
1967	$90,217.43	2.83%
1968	$93,109.45	3.21%
1969	$96,679.28	3.83%
1970	$101,649.94	5.14%
1971	$106,982.10	5.25%
1972	$108,247.36	1.18%
1973	$111,659.04	3.15%
1974	$124,176.06	11.21%
1975	$135,834.51	9.39%
1976	$149,345.66	9.95%
1977	$159,874.41	7.05%
1978	$167,375.59	4.69%
1979	$191,234.74	14.25%
1980	$225,283.74	17.80%
1981	$252,554.58	12.11%
1982	$262,970.36	4.12%
1983	$269,251.47	2.39%
1984	$281,203.64	4.44%
1985	$288,637.03	2.64%
1986	$277,407.86	-3.89%
1987	$285,790.20	3.02%
1988	$294,601.82	3.08%
1989	$309,355.63	5.01%
1990	$326,752.93	5.62%
1991	$335,745.31	2.75%
1992	$343,088.32	2.19%
1993	$353,436.33	3.02%
1994	$364,123.24	3.02%
1995	$377,159.92	3.58%
1996	$387,801.64	2.82%
1997	$391,168.13	0.87%
1998	$383,779.93	-1.89%
1999	$391,507.04	2.01%
2000	$415,727.70	6.19%
2001	$418,213.03	0.60%
2002	$414,439.85	-0.90%
2003	$427,182.81	3.07%
2004	$442,207.75	3.52%
2005	$471,512.03	6.63%
2006	$490,355.34	4.00%
2007	$500,721.19	2.11%
2008	$530,186.57	5.88%
2009	$486,001.27	-8.33%
2010	$524,348.08	7.89%
2011	$575,781.06	9.81%
2012	$589,259.90	2.34%
2013	$589,460.98	0.03%
2014	$585,469.09	-0.68%
2015	$539,722.78	-7.81%
2016	$528,408.66	-2.10%
2017	$546,496.88	3.42%
2018	$571,165.12	4.51%
2019	$569,551.24	-0.28%
2020	$545,871.03	-4.16%
2021	$625,372.85	14.56%
2022	$722,091.45	15.47%
2023	$723,849.93	0.24%
2024	$733,900.15	1.39%
2025	$738,263.26	0.59%
2026	$728,148.87	-1.37%*

* 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 Transportation:

Year	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	14.200	14.250	14.508	14.675	14.317	14.225	14.592	15.925	15.942	15.900	15.900	16.567	18.450	20.575	22.117	22.683	24.142	25.733	26.467	26.083	25.767	26.233	27.692	28.608	29.792	29.783	30.125	30.750	30.925	31.383	31.900	32.358	33.275	34.342	35.658	37.492	39.458	39.925	41.183	45.800	50.100	55.083	58.967	61.733	70.533	83.092	93.150	96.992	99.308	103.717	106.458	102.317	105.408	108.658	114.100	120.517	123.833	126.542	130.358	134.300	139.108	143.033	144.275	141.550	144.400	153.333	154.250	152.858	157.558	163.100	173.908	180.858	184.682	195.549	179.252	193.396	212.366	217.337	217.412	215.939	199.067	194.894	201.565	210.663	210.068	201.334	230.657	266.330	266.978	270.685	272.295	268.564

Adjust transportation prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2026 / CPI in 1935* 1935 USD value = 2026 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Transportation was 14.200 in the year 1935 and 268.564 in 2026:

268.564 / 14.200* $38,500 = $728,148.87

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $38,500 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $728,148.87 in 2026 (in the CPI category of Transportation).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Transportation in 1935. In addition to transportation, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.