About BoomerPrices

What is BoomerPrices?

BoomerPrices is a free, open data tool that compares everyday costs — housing, food, gas, energy, healthcare, education, and wages — across decades. It adjusts for inflation and measures each price as a share of household income, so you can see whether something has actually become harder to afford or just looks more expensive because the dollar is worth less. For wage items like the federal minimum wage, it shows how purchasing power has changed over time.

Why it exists

The cost-of-living debate is everywhere — social media, family dinners, political campaigns — but it usually runs on anecdotes and feelings. “Back in my day, a house cost $40,000” is technically true and completely misleading without context about what people earned, what a dollar bought, and how the economy has shifted.

BoomerPrices exists to replace those arguments with data. Every number comes from public U.S. government sources — the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve, and the Census Bureau. No opinions, no political slant, no paywalls. Just the numbers, presented in a way that anyone can understand.

Some items really have gotten harder to afford. Others haven’t. The point isn’t to prove one side right — it’s to make the conversation honest.

Contact & Contribute

BoomerPrices is an open-source project. If you find a data error, have a suggestion for a new comparison item, or want to contribute code, the best way to reach us is through GitHub.

• Report issues or request features on GitHub
• All data sources and calculation methods are documented on the methodology page
• Common questions about data accuracy and CPI limitations are answered in the FAQ