Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1820-1829

Wages in the United States, 1820-1829

Building-trades wages - 1800 through 1836
Wages of bricklayers, carpenters, masons, etc. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor Monthly Labor Review
Pay on Navy ships, 1820-1821
Source shows the monthly pay, rations, etc. paid to workers on Navy ships in various ports including New Orleans, Baltimore, Washington DC, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Erie PA and others. Positions include the captain, lieutenants, ship's surgeon, surgeon's mate, purser, sailing-master, midshipmen, stewards, gunners, carpenter, carpenter's mate, captain's clerk, chaplain, cook, armorer, coxswain, Navy storekeeper, ordinary seamen and boys. On page 836 fine the average daily wage paid to those who constructed Navy ships, (North Carolina, 1818-1820) including mast makers, sail makers, riggers, painters, ship joiners, blacksmiths and others Source: U.S. Congress, American State Papers, Naval Affairs Vol. 1, p. 829-835.
Artisans, laborers and agricultural workers - Average daily wage, 1785-1830 - Philadelphia
Shows average wages, year by year, for workers in the city of Philadelphia Pennsylvania only. See table explanation for detail.
Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948
Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions. Data for years: 1818, 1826, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1909, 1919, 1929, 1940, 1948. Read the explanation and historical context for this table.
Wages by occupation in Massachusetts (1820s)
From the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
Wage for one day's labor in Albany (New York), 1793-1846
Chart lists the wage paid for one day of labor in Albany, New York for each year from 1793-1846. Chart shows wage data alongside the cost of wheat and four fowls.
Women's wages in clothing manufacture, Philadelphia
Secondary source indicates that women working in the Provident Society in Philadelphia earned 12.5 cents for each shirt made, and might be able to finish two shirts in a day.

more... less...

taken from A warning voice to the cotton and tobacco planters, farmers, privately published in 1824.
Women's wages as domestic servants in New York, 1826
The usual wages were $4.00-5.00 according to this congressional report on the history of women in the U.S. labor force.
Federal employees' wages, 1810s-1910s
The Official Register of the United States (title varies) shows the salaries of named individuals, from the U.S. president all the way down to mail clerks.
Congressional salaries, 1789-present
Historical chart shows salaries of members of the U.S. Congress, along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
New Hampshire prices and wages, 1600s-mid 1800s
The 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of both prices and wages dating as far back as the 1600s. The book is not organized chronologically. Use Hathi Trust's keyword search feature or browse page by page.
Historical Statistics of the United States: Millennial Edition Online
Shows wages recorded in manuscripts found at local historical societies and state archives. Requires MU login to access, but non-affiliated individuals may pay for limited-time access.
Wage rates on the Erie Canal, 1828-1881
This item is presently in copyright so it will be necessary to either find it in a library, or contact us for a lookup.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1820-1829

Spain - Wages in 1827, 1868 and 1902
Tells wages in pesetas. Published in Great Britain by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office; see title page.
United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886
Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
Great Britain (Wales) - "Sin eater" earnings
"The 'sin eater' derived his sole income from taking upon himself the moral trespasses of the newly departed.... The going rate for that extraordinary service was sixpence in 1825." Source: The High cost of dying published 1963. Not a government document.

Wages, 1820s - Analysis

Nineteenth Century Wage Trends
Brief 30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Staff Paper #2.
"How Much is that in Real Money? A Historical Price Index..."
Provides explanations and charts to help users calculate the current value of historic dollar amounts. Source: Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
Price of gold and silver in various currencies, 1797-1838
Shows the Spanish dollar price and the British pound price for one ounce of gold or silver for each year from 1797-1838. Also shows the cost for gold and silver on Hamburg and Paris exchanges. Source: A History of Prices... by Thomas Tooke.
Prices and Wages in Maryland, 1750-1850
This article by Donald R. Adams provides great context for the data. It appeared in the September 1986 issue of Journal of Economic History. Available to MU affiliates and other JStor subscribers.
Prices and Wages in Antebellum America: the West Virginia Experience
Article by Donald R. Adams was printed in the March 1992 issue of Journal of Economic History. Available to MU affiliates and JStor subscribers.

Prices in the United States, 1820-1829

PRICES for FOOD, 1820s

Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1825-1829
This U.S. Treasury document shows prices for each month as well as yearly averages from 1825-1863 for flour, rice, fruits, fish, pork, beef, butter, cheese, salt, sugar, molasses, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum, coffee, tea, tobacco, candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Items priced are by the barrel or the ton are likely wholesale prices.
Price of wheat and fowls in Albany, New York - 1793-1846
Table reports annual data for price of wheat and fowls as well as wages paid for one day's service for every year from 1793-1846.
Food, fuel and provisions - Prices in Cincinnati Ohio, 1825-1892
Ohio government publication shows annual high, low and average "selling prices" for food items such as bacon rice, sugar, coffee, cheese and butter by the pound; grains, beans and apples by the bushel, flour by the barrel, and molasses by the gallon. Prices for salt, cotton, soap, coal and iron are also provided. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th annual report (1893)
Massachusetts - Prices for food
The extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Dairy products
  Price per pound of butter back to 1760s; eggs and cheese back to 1750s; quarts of milk back to 1770s.
- Food preparations
  Prices for individual biscuits back to 1770s, sugar, salt and tea back to 1750s. Bread, lemons, chocolate, coffee, crackers, raisins, lard, macaroni, molasses, and more. Tea is extensively subdivided by type and priced by the pound.
- Flour and Meal
  Flour, buckwheat flour, graham flour, "Indian Meal," rye meal, oatmeal, wheat bran and more priced by the pound or bushel.
- Agricultural products (Fruits, vegetables, grains)
  Reported for almost every year as far back as the 1750s.
- Meats and Nuts
  Prices by the pound for bacon, beef, ham, lamb, mutton, pork, etc. in some cases dating to the 1750s. The table for nuts includes prices by the pound for almonds, filberts and walnuts.
- Poultry and game
  Price per pound of goose, turkey, and poultry back to 1758.
- Fish
  Prices for halibut, herring, haddock, salmon, codfish, eels, etc. by the pound.
- Liquors and Beverages
  Prices by the quart or gallon for beer to 1812, brandy to 1782, cider to 1755, wine to 1783, gin to 1784, rum to 1761, and more. Prices indicate source in some instances, for example, Gin from Holland or Rum from the West Indies.
- Spices and condiments
  Prices by the pound or ounce for wide variety of spices. The earliest spice prices date to 1780s. Price of vinegar dates to 1760s.
Selected book prices, 1817-1822
List shows the price of books acquired for the U.S. Navy from 1817-1822. Most dealt with military and political history, geography and related topics.

PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1820s

Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1820s
This congressional document shows prices for each month from 1825-1863 for candles, hides, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Some items are priced are by the barrel or the ton, but others are priced by the gallon or pound.
Food, fuel and provisions - Prices in Cincinnati Ohio, 1825-1892
Ohio government publication shows annual high, low and average "selling prices" for many food items. Prices for salt, cotton, soap, coal and iron are also provided. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th annual report (1893)
New Hampshire prices and wages, 1600s-mid 1800s
The 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of both prices and wages dating as far back as the 1600s. The book is not organized chronologically. Use Hathi Trust's keyword search feature or browse page by page.
Massachusetts - Prices for household items
The extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Furniture
  Bedsteads, bed cords, bureaus, tables and chairs are listed, with some prices dating to the 1790s.
- Carpetings
  Prices date to 1794.
- Cutlery
  Prices for table knives and forks back to 1780s, and pocket knives back to 1801.
- Paper
  Letter paper, priced by the sheet, dating to 1780s.
- Tallow, candles, soap, etc.
  Soap prices date to 1770s.
- Oils for Illumination
  Oils to light lamps and lanterns, dating back to the 1780s
- Fuel
  Charcoal, oak wood, pine wood, coal, etc.
- Miscellaneous, not elsewhere classified
  Price for brooms, brass kettles, brick, matches, tubs, tumblers, clocks, candlesticks, silver watches, feathers (by the pound), wine glasses and more. Prices for some items date to 1750s.
- Tobacco and snuff
  Prices for cigars by the dozen, and tobacco and snuff by the pound or (sometimes) ounce. Tobacco prices date to 1760s.

PRICES for CLOTHING and SEWING SUPPLIES, 1820s

Massachusetts - Prices for clothing and sewing supplies
The extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Clothing
  Hats, handerchiefs and stockings back to the 1760s; gloves, breeches, pantaloons, hose and coats back to 1780s; shawls and vests back to the 1790s; mittens and waistcoats back to the 1810s.
- Cloth
  Prices for some types of cloth back to 1770s
- Dress goods
  Prices for alpaca wool and calico by the yard, as well as batiste, cambric, cashmere, crape, gingham, gauze, lawn, muslin, linsey woolsey, plaid, poplin, satin, silk, velvet and many other fabric types, some back to the 1770s but most back to the early 1880s. More fabrics are listed under the Dry Goods heading.
- Dry goods
  Prices for blankets back to the 1780s, cotton flannel, damask and denim, diaper cloth, shirtings, ticking, and more, some dating to the 1750s.
- Boots, shoes and leather
  Prices reported by the individual pair or by component such as buckles, leather, buttons, braid, fringe, etc. Detailed prices for style and type of shoe, boot, sandal, slipper, rubber overshoe, etc. Earliest price dates to 1750s.
- Buttons and dress trimmings
  Button prices reported by the dozen. Fringe and tape by the yard. Earliest price dates to 1780s.
- Ribbons and laces
  Prices date to 1783.
- Small wares
  Yarn, needles, pins, embroidery silk, cotton and linen thread. Some prices date to 1770s.

PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1820s

Ocean passage from Ireland to the U.S. - Price in 1828
Saddle horse, 1826
(image source)
Source dated 1828 places the cost of the ocean passage at $30 and the cost of provisions for the trip, $15. Source: Miscellaneous Pamphlets by Mathew Carey, #9, "Essay on Emigration from Ireland, and Immigration into the United States."
Value of horses, 1825
This report includes a list of claims of horses stolen from the Delaware tribe on their journey from Indiana to Missouri. Each claim tells the price or value of horses. Source: Serial Set No. 126
Steam boat fares, 1825 & 1826
The 1825 first edition of The northern traveller tells steam boat fare on Lake Champlain, from Whitehall to St. John's Lower Canada, and from Boston to Eastport.
The 1826 2nd edition was improved and extended and contains fares for many destinations (Tip: use the 'Search in this text' tool to find the word "fare" or your destination of interest).

more... less...

Sources: The northern traveller; containing the routes to Niagara, Quebec and the Springs; with the tour of New England and the route to the coal mines of Pennsylvania by Theodore Dwight, multiple editions.
Stage from North to South Carolina, 1821
This travelogue tells what the author paid to travel from Wilmington to Charlseton by stage in 1821. Source: Prominent features of a northern tour, 1822.
Carriage hire and steamboat fare - 1828
This travelogue tells some of the author's travel expenses, including terms to hire a carriage, driver, and pair of horses (plus a baggage wagon) from Savannah to New Orleans and steam boat fare from New Orleans to Louisville on the Mississippi (also tells how many cords of wood were burned in a day and the cost of each cord).

more... less...

Source: Travels in North America, in the years 1827 and 1828 by Captain Basil Hall (1829). Not a government document.
Travel fare and map prices, 1824-1825
The American traveller guide gives prices of maps and charts (in Philadelphia in 1824), fare on steamboats leaving Philadelphia and on mail stages leaving Wilmington, and Atlantic crossings from New York to Liverpool and Havre.

more... less...

Source: The American traveller; or, National directory by Daniel Hewett (1825).
Stage coach fare, 1826
This table of disbursements includes stage fare, meals and lodging for travelers in 1826 (tip: use the 'Rotate clockwise' button on the right-hand side of the reading pane to reorient the page view). Source: Serial Set No. 156.

PRICES for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1820s

Price of lumber by type of wood, and iron, copper and lead for ship building
Source tells the amount paid by the federal government for lumber in 1818-1820; the wood was used to build ships. About a dozen wood types are broken out, including oak, pine, cherry, ash, locust, maple and mahogany.
Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materials
The extensive price figures below were collected by the state of Massachusetts, and reported in Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living (from the Sixteenth annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, for 1885) by Carroll D. Wright. Most tables below report price data up through the 1860s.
- Tools and implements
  Hoes, shovels, spades, files, etc. priced by the dozen or when sold individually. Earliest price figure is from 1790s.
- Lumber
  Price for boards, plank, shingles, timber, clapboards, etc. by the foot.
- Tacks, brads and nails
  Priced by the pound. Earliest prices date to 1790s.

COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1820s

These are publications direct from the colleges; they are not government documents.

Harvard - Cost to attend in 1828
"Estimate of the expenses of a student at Harvard College for one year...1828"
College of New Jersey - 1829-1830
Itemizes the cost of attending the college, with tuition for 22 weeks ($44.00), room rent, fuel in winter, servant's wages, washing, etc.
Williams College (Massachusetts) 1823-1824
"Good board may be had for a dollar by walking a mile. The best wood is sold for $1.50 a cord. From twelve to seventeen cents a week is paid for washing...." Tuition for each term is $7.50.
Williams College (Massachusetts) 1829-1830
Tuition at $8.00 per term amounted to $24.00 per year. Board was $1 to $1.50 per week.
Kenyon College (Ohio) - 1828
"The whole expenses of one year's board, tuition and washing do not exceed 60 dollars...."

HEALTH PRICES, 1820-1829

Pills, medicinal ointments, and other remedies - Retail prices
Newspaper ad lists one retailer's prices for products to relieve fever, headache, toothache, coughs, rheumatism, etc. Source: Delaware newspaper dated Dec 14, 1824.

PRICES for SERVICES, 1820s

Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863
Chart from the Historian of the United States Postal Service shows price to mail a domestic letter. Not included are postage rates for ship and steamboat letters and "drop letters" (for local delivery), which were assigned different rates.
Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscription
We recommend using the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website to find prices and subscription rates for individual newspaper titles in specific years. Click into the site and set the year boxes to your date range. Click "GO" and then check the "Show only front pages" box. If the price is not in the masthead, search for publisher's information somewhere in the body of the paper - often in the left column of the front page. Annual subscription rates are likely to be described there.
Theater admission price - Richmond VA, 1829
Newspaper ad shows the price for seats at the Richmond Theater (box seats, pit, gallery, etc.)

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1820-1829

PRICES in CANADA, 1820s

Prices and wages in Canada, ca. 1820
Emigrant's guide published in Dublin tells what to expect if moving to the wild areas of Canada. Written in narrative format. Mentions of prices and wages appear throughout the book.

PRICES in GREAT BRITAIN, 1820s

England - Bread prices, 1817-1846
Shows average prices of bread in England for each year from 1660-1899 on pages 27-35. Source: Three Centuries of Prices of Wheat, Flour and Bread (not a government document). The introduction to this table explains that these prices are for the type of bread consumed by lower middle classes, not the "fancy bread." Price sources are provided on page 21-22.

PRICES in ITALY, 1820s

Italy, Milan - Price of bread, wheat, etc., 1801 to 1908
Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 87, Volume XX. Published March 1910.

Prices and Wages by Decade: 1820-1829

Wages in the United States, 1820-1829

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1820-1829

Wages, 1820s - Analysis

Prices in the United States, 1820-1829

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1820-1829

Ask a Question