How Much Was a Dollar Worth in 1880? It’s Wild to Think About
The shocking truth: $1 in 1880 went really far
A rough modern equivalent: about $30–$35
Okay, let’s start with the number everyone wants: $1 in 1880 is roughly equal to $30 to $35 today. Give or take a couple bucks depending on which inflation calculator or economic model you use. I double-checked because my first reaction was, “No way it’s that much.” But yep—based on CPI data, that's the ballpark.
I actually brought this up with my friend Kevin (the kind of guy who tracks gold prices for fun), and he went down a rabbit hole for hours. Turns out, back then, a dollar really meant something.
What could a dollar buy you in 1880?
Everyday purchases that feel unreal now
Let’s paint the picture. In 1880, here’s what you could get for just one dollar:
Two to three pounds of steak
A nice dress shirt
Around 20 loaves of bread
A decent hotel room for the night
A full day’s pay for many workers
Seriously—imagine walking into a store today with $1 and coming out with anything besides gum. It’s wild. My great-grandpa (we called him “Pappy”) used to tell me about going into the general store with just a few coins and coming out with dinner, nails, and even a toy. At the time, I thought it was just an old-man exaggeration. But now? I believe every word.
Why was money worth so much more back then?
Low inflation and the gold standard
Honestly, this is where it gets a bit more technical, but stick with me. In 1880, the U.S. was under the Gold Standard, which basically means every paper dollar could be exchanged for a fixed amount of gold. This limited how much money could be printed, which kept inflation super low—almost flat over decades.
So while your salary might’ve been lower (more on that in a sec), your money held its value. I mean, really held it.
I made the mistake once of calling this "the good old days" in a college econ class, and Professor Lee was like, "Good for whom?" Apparently, deflation (which sometimes happened too) could wreck small farmers and borrowers. So yeah… not so simple.
But were people richer or poorer?
Wages were way lower—but so were costs
In 1880, the average annual wage was about $450–$500. That’s around $12K–$15K in today’s money when adjusted. Doesn’t sound like much, right? But that’s the thing—you didn’t need much.
Housing, food, clothing—everything cost way less in absolute terms. And there was no DoorDash, no Netflix subscription, no smartphone plan draining your wallet. People lived differently. Doesn’t mean better or worse—just very, very differently.
One guy I knew—old neighbor named Earl—had a farmhouse passed down from the 1800s, and he told me the original family bought it with cash. Cash. Try buying a house with a fistful of cash now. Yeah… good luck.
Final thoughts: time travel isn’t just sci-fi—it’s economic
It’s honestly kind of mind-blowing to think about how much value the dollar has lost. I mean, not in a panic-button way, but just… wow. Imagine handing someone a single dollar in 1880 and what that represented. A full day’s worth of effort. Enough to cover a meal, some clothes, and still have change.
Today? You might find a crumpled one in your jeans pocket and barely blink. Maybe that’s just how the world moves forward—but it still gives you a weird feeling, doesn’t it?
Anyway, if you’ve ever asked “How much was a dollar worth in 1880?”—now you know. It was worth a heck of a lot more than a buck.
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The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.
Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?
How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).
How tall is a average 15 year old?
Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years
| Male Teens: 13 - 20 Years) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 14 Years | 112.0 lb. (50.8 kg) | 64.5" (163.8 cm) |
| 15 Years | 123.5 lb. (56.02 kg) | 67.0" (170.1 cm) |
| 16 Years | 134.0 lb. (60.78 kg) | 68.3" (173.4 cm) |
| 17 Years | 142.0 lb. (64.41 kg) | 69.0" (175.2 cm) |
How to get taller at 18?
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Can you grow between 16 and 18?
Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.
Can you grow 1 cm after 17?
Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.