$500 in 1970 is worth $3817.99 today.
The value of $500 from 1970 to 2022
$500 in 1970 has the purchasing power of about $3817.99 today, a $3317.99 increase in 52 years. Between 1970 and today, the dollar experienced an average annual inflation rate of 3.99%, resulting in a cumulative price increase of 663.6%.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, today's prices are several times higher than the average price since 1970.
In 1970, the inflation rate was 5.9%. Inflation is now 8.52% higher than it was last year. If this figure holds true, $500 today will be worth $4760 next year in purchasing power.
Inflation from 1970 to 2022
| Summary | Value |
|---|---|
| Cumulative price change (from 1970 to today) | 663.6% |
| Average inflation rate (from 1970 to today) | 3.99% |
| Converted amount | $3817.99 |
| Price Difference | $3317.99 |
| CPI in 1970 | 38.8 |
| CPI in 2022 | 296.276 |
| Inflation in 1970 | 5.9% |
| Inflation in 2022 | 8.52% |
| $500 in 1970 | $3817.99 in 2022 |
Buying power of $500 in 1970
If you had $500 in your hand in 1970, its adjusted value for inflation today would be $3817.99. Put another way, you would need $3817.99 to beat the rising inflation. When $500 becomes equivalent to $3817.99 over time, the "real value" of a single US dollar decreases. In other words, a dollar will pay for fewer items at the store.
This effect explains how inflation gradually erodes the value of a dollar. By calculating the value in 1970 dollars, it's evident how $500 loses its worth over 52 years.
Dollar inflation for $500 from 1970 to 2022
The below tabular column shows the effect of inflation on $500 in the year 1970 to the year 1970.
| Year | Dollar Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 500 | 5.9% |
| 1971 | 538.15 | 4.29% |
| 1972 | 579.22 | 3.27% |
| 1973 | 623.42 | 6.18% |
| 1974 | 670.99 | 11.05% |
| 1975 | 722.2 | 9.13% |
| 1976 | 777.31 | 5.76% |
| 1977 | 836.62 | 6.50% |
| 1978 | 900.47 | 7.59% |
| 1979 | 1001.81 | 11.35% |
| 1980 | 1137.55 | 13.50% |
| 1981 | 1255.11 | 10.32% |
| 1982 | 1332.07 | 6.16% |
| 1983 | 1374.86 | 3.21% |
| 1984 | 1433.98 | 4.32% |
| 1985 | 1484.83 | 3.56% |
| 1986 | 1513.01 | 1.86% |
| 1987 | 1568.45 | 3.65% |
| 1988 | 1632.41 | 4.14% |
| 1989 | 1711.21 | 4.82% |
| 1990 | 1803.58 | 5.40% |
| 1991 | 1879.96 | 4.21% |
| 1992 | 1936.9 | 3.01% |
| 1993 | 1994.07 | 2.99% |
| 1994 | 2046.07 | 2.56% |
| 1995 | 2103.47 | 2.83% |
| 1996 | 2165.12 | 2.95% |
| 1997 | 2215.74 | 2.29% |
| 1998 | 2250.13 | 1.56% |
| 1999 | 2299.37 | 2.21% |
| 2000 | 2377.01 | 3.36% |
| 2001 | 2444.19 | 2.85% |
| 2002 | 2482.96 | 1.58% |
| 2003 | 2539.32 | 2.28% |
| 2004 | 2607.3 | 2.66% |
| 2005 | 2695.76 | 3.39% |
| 2006 | 2782.73 | 3.23% |
| 2007 | 2862.11 | 2.85% |
| 2008 | 2971.99 | 3.84% |
| 2009 | 2961.42 | -0.36% |
| 2010 | 3009.99 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | 3105.01 | 3.16% |
| 2012 | 3169.26 | 2.07% |
| 2013 | 3215.69 | 1.46% |
| 2014 | 3267.85 | 1.62% |
| 2015 | 3271.73 | 0.12% |
| 2016 | 3313.01 | 1.26% |
| 2017 | 3383.77 | 2.13% |
| 2018 | 3466.34 | 2.49% |
| 2019 | 3529.15 | 1.76% |
| 2020 | 3572.68 | 1.23% |
| 2021 | 3740.52 | 4.70% |
| 2022 | 4094 | 8.52% |
Conversion of 1970 dollars to today's price
Based on the 663.6% change in prices, the following 1970 amounts are shown in today's dollars:
| Initial value | Today value |
|---|---|
| $1 dollar in 1970 | $7.64 dollars today |
| $5 dollars in 1970 | $38.18 dollars today |
| $10 dollars in 1970 | $76.36 dollars today |
| $50 dollars in 1970 | $381.8 dollars today |
| $100 dollars in 1970 | $763.6 dollars today |
| $500 dollars in 1970 | $3817.99 dollars today |
| $1,000 dollars in 1970 | $7635.98 dollars today |
| $5,000 dollars in 1970 | $38179.9 dollars today |
| $10,000 dollars in 1970 | $76359.79 dollars today |
| $50,000 dollars in 1970 | $381798.97 dollars today |
| $100,000 dollars in 1970 | $763597.94 dollars today |
| $500,000 dollars in 1970 | $3817989.69 dollars today |
| $1,000,000 dollars in 1970 | $7635979.38 dollars today |
How to calculate the inflated value of $500 in 1970
To calculate the change in value between 1970 and today, we use the following inflation rate formula:
CPI Today / CPI in 1970 x USD Value in 1970 = Current USD Value
By plugging the values into the formula above, we get:
296.276/ 38.8 x $500 = $3817.99
To buy the same product that you could buy for $500 in 1970, you would need $3817.99 in 2022.
To calculate the cumulative or total inflation rate in the past 52 years between 1970 and 2022, we use the following formula:
CPI in 2022 - CPI in 1970 / CPI in 1970 x 100 = Cumulative Inflation Rate
By inserting the values to this equation, we get:
( 296.276 - 38.8 / 38.8) x 100 = 663.6%
Alternate method to calculate today's value of money after inflation - Using compound interest formula
Given that money changes over time due to inflation, which acts as compound interest, we can use the following formula:
FV = PV (1+i/100)^n
where,
- FV = Future value
- PV = Present value
- i: Average interest rate (inflation)
- n: Number of times the interest is compounded (i.e. # of years)
The future value in this case represents the amount obtained after applying the inflation rate to our initial value. In other words, it indicates how much $500 is worth today. We have 52 years between 2022 and 1970. The average inflation rate was 3.9867890825727%.
Plugging in the values into the formula, we get:
500 (1+ % 3.99/ 100 ) ^ 52 = $3817.99