The Cost of Living… 1951 vs. 2011

According to national statistics, here’s what residents paid for various items in 1951:

New House                                         $9.000.00
Gallon of Gasoline                                 19 cents
Cost of a New Car                              $1,500.00
Loaf of Bread                                         16 cents
Hamburger Meat per Pound                  50 cents
Bacon per Pound                                   52 cents
Eggs per Dozen                                     24 cents

Just for fun, we also went to the Western Springs Historical Society’s archives and pulled out these hand-written bills for monthly newspaper, annual vehicle tax, and monthly water usage that were actually received (and paid) by Western Springs residents in 1951, as summarized below: 

• Daily & Sunday papers / month          $2.05   ($23.00 in 2011)
• Village Vehicle Tax                             $5.00   ($35.00 in 2011)
• Village Water per 1000 gallons               63¢  ($  8.10 in 2011)

 On a positive note, the average U.S. salary in 1951 was only $3,510!