Visiting the 1920’s and 1930’s: the average income for all industries was $1,407/year. State and local government workers averaged $1,164/year teachers $970/year, building trades $1.08/hour, and medical and health services $752/year. Convict labor was ten cents per day. Lawyers made $5,534 per year and gangsters pocketed roughly $10,000 annually (top tier gangsters made considerably more).
The cost of food:
Beef Rib Roast lb. 39¢
Bread 1 lb. 12¢
Cabbage 1 lb. 2¢
Chicken 1 lb. 39¢
Coffee 1 lb. 47¢
Eggs 1 doz. 25¢ 19
Flour 5 lbs. 41¢
Milk ½ Gal. 28¢
Navy Beans 1 lb. 10¢
Sugar 5 lbs. 35¢
Watermelon 1 lb. 2¢
Transportation: A bicycle cost $25 while a Ford Model T like the one pictured below was $260.
1926 stripped down Model T Ford roadster purchase price $260.
Back in the 1920’s and 1930’s: if you did not want to rent, you could buy a five room house with a bath from the Sears, Roebuck and Company Catalogue (pages 1090-1091) for only $2,436 or $40 per month. Two additional rooms cost $347 each.
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