Retail Prices of Selected Foods in U.S. Cities, 1890–2015
Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff 
Prices below are in dollars or cents.
| Year | Flour (5 lbs) | Bread (lb) | Round steak (lb) | Bacon (lb) | Butter (lb) | Eggs (doz.) | Milk (1/2 gal.) | Oranges (doz.) | Potatoes (10 lbs) | Coffee (lb) | Sugar (5 lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $2.63 | $1.44 | $6.18 | $5.47 | n.a. | $2.09 | $3.50¹ | $1.19² | $6.46 | $4.91 | $3.30 |
| 2011 | $2.75 | $1.48 | $4.69 | $4.82 | $3.67 | $1.95 | $1.86 | $6.00 | $7.35 | $5.65 | $3.51 |
| 2010 | $2.36 | $1.41 | $4.41 | $4.77 | $3.63 | $1.47 | $1.66 | $6.00 | $5.79 | $4.16 | $3.11 |
| 1970 | 58.9¢ | 24.3¢ | $1.30 | 94.9¢ | 86.6¢ | 61.4¢ | 65.9¢ | 86.4¢ | 89.7¢ | 91.1¢ | 64.8¢ |
| 1965 | 58.1 | 20.9 | $1.08 | 81.3 | 75.4 | 52.7 | 52.6 | 77.8 | 93.7 | 83.3 | 59.0 |
| 1960 | 55.4 | 20.3 | $1.05 | 65.5 | 74.9 | 57.3 | 52.0 | 74.8 | 71.8 | 75.3 | 58.2 |
| 1955 | 53.8 | 17.7 | 90.3 | 65.9 | 70.9 | 60.6 | 46.2 | 52.8 | 56.4 | 93.0 | 52.1 |
| 1950 | 49.1 | 14.3 | 93.6 | 63.7 | 72.9 | 60.4 | 41.2 | 49.3 | 46.1 | 79.4 | 48.7 |
| 1945 | 32.1 | 8.8 | 40.6 | 41.1 | 50.7 | 58.1 | 31.2 | 48.5 | 49.3 | 30.5 | 33.4 |
| 1940 | 21.5 | 8.0 | 36.4 | 27.3 | 36.0 | 33.1 | 25.6 | 29.1 | 23.9 | 21.2 | 26.0 |
| 1935 | 25.3 | 8.3 | 36.0 | 41.3 | 36.0 | 37.6 | 23.4 | 22.0 | 19.1 | 25.7 | 28.2 |
| 1930 | 23.0 | 8.6 | 42.6 | 42.5 | 46.4 | 44.5 | 28.2 | 57.1 | 36.0 | 39.5 | 30.5 |
| 1925 | 30.5 | 9.3 | 36.2 | 47.1 | 55.2 | 55.4 | 27.8 | 57.1 | 36.0 | 50.4 | 35.0 |
| 1920 | 40.5 | 11.5 | 39.5 | 52.3 | 70.1 | 68.1 | 33.4 | 63.2 | 63.0 | 47.0 | 97.0 |
| 1915 | 21.0 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 26.9 | 35.8 | 34.1 | 17.6 | n.a. | 15.0 | 30.0 | 33.0 |
| 1910 | 18.0 | n.a. | 17.4 | 25.5 | 35.9 | 33.7 | 16.8 | n.a. | 17.0 | n.a. | 30.0 |
| 1905 | 16.0 | n.a. | 14.0 | 18.1 | 29.0 | 27.2 | 14.4 | n.a. | 17.0 | n.a. | 30.0 |
| 1900 | 12.5 | n.a. | 13.2 | 14.3 | 26.1 | 20.7 | 13.6 | n.a. | 14.0 | n.a. | 30.5 |
| 1895 | 12.0 | n.a. | 12.3 | 13.0 | 24.9 | 20.6 | 13.6 | n.a. | 14.0 | n.a. | 26.5 |
| 1890 | 14.5 | n.a. | 12.3 | 12.5 | 25.5 | 20.8 | 13.6 | n.a. | 16.0 | n.a. | 34.5 |
NOTE: n.a. = not available.
¹ price listed is per gallon.
² price listed is per pound.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Bicentennial Edition, Part 2., Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; 2015.
