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What things cost in 1985

42 items · 28 observed in the public record · 14 inflation-estimated

ItemIn 1985Today's money
Average home sale price / each$100,500$313,959
Average hourly earnings, private / hour$8.74$27.13
Bacon / lb$1.89$5.87
Bananas / lb$0.40$1.24
Bread, white / lb$0.55$1.71
Cheddar cheese, natural / lb$3.08$9.56
Chicken legs, bone-in / lb$1.07$3.32
Chicken, whole / lb$0.76$2.36
Coffee / lb$2.61$8.10
Eggs, grade A large / dozen$0.72$2.23
Electricity / kwh$0.09$0.26
Flour, white / lb$0.22$0.68
Fuel oil #2 / gallon$1.06$3.29
Ground beef / lb$1.21$3.76
Ice cream / half gallon$2.28$7.08
Lemons / lb$0.91$2.82
Median home sale price / each$84,300$263,350
Median household income / year$23,620$74,767
Minimum wage, federal / hour$3.35$10.40
Natural gas / therm$0.65$2.01
Orange juice, frozen concentrate / 16 oz$1.75$5.43
Oranges, navel / lb$0.61$1.90
Potato chips / 16 oz$2.61$8.10
Rice, white / lb$0.47$1.46
Spaghetti and macaroni / lb$0.74$2.30
Strawberries / 12 oz$0.77$2.39
Sugar, white / lb$0.35$1.09
Tomatoes / lb$0.62$1.92
Beans, dried, any type / lb$0.48$1.50
Butter, stick / lb$1.80$5.58
Chicken breast, boneless / lb$1.78$5.52
Diesel, all types / gallon$1.22$3.78
Gasoline, regular / gallon$1.17$3.64
Ham / lb$2.36$7.34
Lettuce, romaine / lb$0.72$2.24
Malt beverages, all types / 16 oz$0.56$1.74
Milk, whole / gallon$1.74$5.40
Potatoes, white / lb$0.21$0.64
Soft drinks, all / 2 liter$0.62$1.94
Steak, sirloin, boneless / lb$3.30$10.25
Wine, red and white table / liter$3.28$10.19
Yogurt / 8 oz$0.46$1.42

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19841986
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Verified prices are drawn from U.S. public records (BLS/FRED, public domain). Estimated prices are inflation-derived and labeled as such.
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