The 2020s: Pandemic Whiplash and Sticky Inflation
The 2020s started with a pandemic that froze the economy, then unleashed the worst inflation in 40 years. Supply chains broke, stimulus checks flooded the system, and prices for everything from eggs to used cars went haywire. By the mid-2020s, inflation cooled but prices never came back down.
Decade Highlights
- Gas swung from $2.17 in 2020 to $3.97 in 2022.
- New car prices jumped 44% between 2019 and 2023 due to chip shortages.
- Grocery prices rose over 25% in just three years (2021-2024).
What Things Cost in the 2020s
Gallon of Gas
$2.17 - $3.36
New Car
$33,500 - $48,500
Dozen Eggs
$3.40
Gallon of Milk
$4.10
Loaf of Bread
$1.98
Movie Ticket
$10.50
Minimum Wage
$7.25/hr (still unchanged)
Median Home
~$420,800
Explore the Full Data
Dive into the year-by-year numbers for each dataset.