# Cost of living in mid 1960's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844 "2013-12-20T19:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/21 "2013-12-22T00:48:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Really? Can you show us your math? I can’t remember the exact amounts. This was years ago. I just remember being surprised at how little they were, and this despite my being aware that inflation had set in over the years. You can know about inflation, but it can still be something of a shock when you see what your family was living on when you were a child. And again, we had a lot. New house, new car every few years, maybe the first on the block with a color TV and a big honker at that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/22 "2013-12-22T00:53:11Z")
I was particularly interested in this, which I don’t believe is correct: > [@](#): > > You’d be living in the street on that amount today. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/23 "2013-12-22T00:56:24Z")
I certainly don’t think nowadays you could afford a home – not even rent let alone ownership – a car and food for a family of three on that. Maybe two of those would have had to give. One for sure. EDIT: Trying to remember. The figure of $125 a week may not be too off. We never paid for anything cash but in installments. ---
**Author:** ![Vaevictis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f04885/32.png) [@Vaevictis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaevictis)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/24 "2013-12-22T01:14:17Z")
Godamn what bunch of bourgeoise bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/25 "2013-12-22T01:23:22Z")
> [@Vaevictis](#): > > Godamn what bunch of bourgeoise bullshit. Say what now? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/26 "2013-12-22T07:49:18Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I certainly don’t think nowadays you could afford a home – not even rent let alone ownership – a car and food for a family of three on that. Maybe two of those would have had to give. One for sure. > > EDIT: Trying to remember. The figure of $125 a week may not be too off. We never paid for anything cash but in installments. $1.00 in 1965 is worth about $7.36 today. $125/ wk -\> $920/wk or $47,840/yr. The median household income in the US in 1965 was about $7,000/year or $135/wk. You were solidly middle class. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/27 "2013-12-22T13:40:48Z")
In 1957, I was making $1750 for the year, paying $25 a month for my share of an small apartment (bed-sitter, small kitchen, small bath) shared with a friend and paying a bit over $500 a year for part-time tuition (24 credits in two regular terms plus two summer terms @ $22/credit). We did all our own cooking and had no car (the market was about a mile away). We managed, barely. In 1962, I had my first real job, living alone in an apartment in Manhattan that cost $110. I was paid $6000 and felt rich. I even got a small car. I don’t think I would feel that way on $60,000 today, even if I could find a place for $1100, which in Manhattan today is unthinkable (I was on 113th between Amsterdam and B’way). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/28 "2013-12-22T23:40:30Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > $1.00 in 1965 is worth about $7.36 today. $125/ wk -\> $920/wk or $47,840/yr. > > The median household income in the US in 1965 was about $7,000/year or $135/wk. > > You were solidly middle class. Geez, who pissed in your Cheerios today? Yes, I _know_ we were solidly middle class. Without going back up to look, I think I even said we were middle class. I simply made a remark that I was still surprised by how, looking back at the time of my father’s death, such a small amount in the 1960s could be middle class. I was not talking about what that money is worth in today’s dollars. It was a seemingly innocent observation not meant to ruffle anyone’s feathers. Please try to get over it and move on with your life. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/29 "2013-12-23T02:02:13Z")
> [@turtlescanfly](#): > > Now that some answers have been given, I find myself wondering the purpose of the OP’s question. > The amount of detail suggests anecdotal evidence that they know someone who did in fact live this way (parent, self?) If so, why the question? > Or perhaps they are writing a book and want to know if they set up a plausible premise? > Or are they planning to time travel back to the 60’s with their kid and need to know how long their cash will hold out? > > Anyway, just curious. Feel free to tell me to MYOB.🙂 But if it’s not too personal, please share. I would have included this but did not want to bore you guys with the back story. An older cousin was complaining about her childhood and how poor they were. No new school clothes, toys, entertainment, what have you. I was curious so I asked for some details. She was 11 in 1963 when her parents divorced. Her father paid her mom $55. a week alimony/child support. Her mother did not work. All she knew besides that was the rent for the furnished apartment was 22 and included heat and light. She said they did not have a phone or TV. Her father is my uncle. I was born after they divorced. Her mom never allowed her to associate with her dad’s family. I met her for the first time at a family reunion a few years ago. She complains about pretty much everything and one shoe is more worn than the other due to the chip on her shoulder. :rolleyes: However from most of the replies she is accurate. They were very poor. But that was 50 years ago, get over it already. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/30 "2013-12-23T15:54:34Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@Vaevictis](#): > > Godamn what bunch of bourgeoise bullshit. This is a bit out of line for the General Questions forum and comes across as threadshitting. No warning issued, but don’t do this again. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Geez, who pissed in your Cheerios today? This is also getting a bit too snippy for GQ. Let’s all focus on the factual aspects of the question, please. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/31 "2013-12-24T00:37:10Z")
In 1960 I had my first full time job as a mail room clerk in a very upscale department store. We were required to wear suits and ties even though my exposure to the public was minimal. I was paid $200.00 per month. In 1962 I was promoted to a sales position in ladies shoes. I was expected to be very well dressed and to own several suits, a flock of white shirts and a bunch of ties. Given the increase in my expenses I was given a raise to $250.00 per month plus a discount of 10% on clothing purchases in the store. I didn’t have to cook; I made enough money to eat out three times per day. I was actually pretty well paid for that period. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844/32 "2013-12-24T13:21:09Z")
From what I recall of family and history - an assistant professor in 1963 made $7,000 a year. By later 1960’s, the Canadian postal workers were striking, IIRC, because $7,000 was “not enough”, i.e. that was a decent industrial wage. A new Volkswagen Beetle cost $1999. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-living-in-mid-1960s/676844.md?page=1)