Prices and Wages by Decade: 1820-1829
Links to government documents and primary sources listing retail prices for products and services, as well as wages for common occupations.
Wages in the United States, 1820-1829
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Building-trades wages - 1800 through 1836Wages of bricklayers, carpenters, masons, etc. Source: Monthly Labor Review
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Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1818-1948Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions, p. 163. Read the explanation and historical context for this table.
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Pay on Navy ships (U.S.), 1820-1821Shows the monthly pay, rations, etc. paid to Navy personnel by job title: captain, lieutenants, ship's surgeon, surgeon's mate, purser, sailing-master, midshipmen, stewards, gunners, carpenter, carpenter's mate, chaplain, cook, armorer, coxswain, storekeeper, ordinary seamen and boys. On page 836, find 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: American State Papers, Naval Affairs Vol. 1, p. 829-835.
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Navy pay charts (U.S.) - 1814-1893This is not a government website but it does a good job of organizing a complex topic. If you need original government documents showing pay, contact us.
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Government employees, federal - Salaries, 1820sThe 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.
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Congressional salaries, 1789-presentSource: additional detail from the 1789 Act, chap. 17.
Wages by U.S. state, 1820-1829
- Wages by occupation - Massachusetts, 1820sSource: Mass. Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
- State government officials and judges - Salaries, 1825Source: 1825 New Hampshire political manual and annual register, p. 58.
- Women's wages as domestic servants in New York, 1826The usual wages were $4.00-5.00 a month according to this congressional report on the history of women in the U.S. labor force, pp. 179-180.
- Wage for one day's labor in Albany (New York), 1793-1846Chart lists the wage paid for one day of labor in Albany, New York for each year from 1793-1846. Compares to the price of wheat and fowls.
- Women's wages in clothing manufacture, PhiladelphiaWomen 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. Source: A warning voice to the cotton and tobacco planters, farmers, published 1824.
- Artisans, laborers and agricultural worker wages - Philadelphia, 1785-1830Shows average annual wages. See table explanation for detail. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, p. 163.
- Farm labor in Vermont - Daily wages, 1780-1820sTable 26 shows daily wages for laborers, with board. The complete chart shows wage data for every year from 1780-1937; the explanation begins on page 43. Source: Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station.
Foreign wages by occupation (A-Z) then country, 1820-1829
- Value of foreign coins in U.S. federal money, 1825
Source: Green's Connecticut annual register and U.S. calendar. - Universal cambist and commercial instructor, containing "exchanges, monies, weights and measures of all trading nations and their colonies...." By P. Kelly (pub. in London, 1821)
- United States (1820) - Shows exchange rates for London, Amsterdam, Paris, Bremen and Hamburgh.
- Amsterdam (1820)
- Berlin (1820)
- London (1820)
- France (1820)
- Milan (1820)
- Rome (1820)
- West Indies
- East Indies
- More countries in the Table of Contents
Foreign wages by country, 1820-1829
- Spain - Wages in 1827, 1868 and 1902Tells wages in pesetas. Source: Luxemburg and Limburg, published in Great Britain by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office, p. 44.
- United Kingdom - Wages, 1810-1886Extensive, 437-page government report indicates detailed wages by occupation in many locations throughout the UK. Wages are reported in British currency.
Prices in the United States, 1820-1829
PRICES for FOOD, 1820s
- Massachusetts - Prices for food, 1700s-1850sSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th annual report (1885).
- Maryland - Retail food and alcohol prices at Baltimore, 1820Source: American Farmer, March 31, 1820, p. 8.
- Cincinnati - Food, fuel and provision prices, 1825-1892Shows prices for bacon, rice, sugar, coffee, cheese and butter by the pound; grains, beans and apples by the bushel, flour by the barrel, molasses by the gallon and more. Source: Ohio BLS, 17th Annual report. See whiskey prices in Cincinnati, 1829-1858 in Ohio Commissioner of Statistics' 3rd annual report.
- Pennsylvania - Food prices, 1820-1829A farm family's account book shows a variety of items that were purchased, along with prices. Source: "Farm prices in two centuries," USDA Statistician, pp. 343-344.
- New Hampshire - Food prices, 1820s1820-1830 on pp. 39-41 and 1826-1827 on pp. 42-43 in the 1872 New Hampshire Bureau of Labor Statistics report to the Legislature.
- North Carolina - prices in New Bern, May 1829See prices of butter, coffee, flour, molasses as well as brandy, rum, gin, whiskey, wine, bacon, beef, salt, sugar and tea. Source: "Prices Current" listed in newspaper.
Food prices in New York
- Food and provision prices in New York, 1825-1882Shows the lowest and highest prices of 25 foods and provisions in NYC over 56 years between 1825-1882. Source: Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics of Michigan, pp. 248-250
- Price of wheat and fowls in Albany, New York - 1793-1846Table 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. Source: Documents of the Senate no. 92, 1846 v.3
- Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1825-1829This 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.
PRICES for LAND, 1820s
- Unimproved land prices in Maine, 1824-1855Shows average price per acre for public land (largely timbered) conveyed by the state government. Source: Maine Land Agency 1855 annual report, pp. 22-23.
PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1820s
- New York prices, 1820sMonthly prices,1825-1863 for candles, furs, leather, nails, whalebone, wool and more. Source: Congressional report, pp. 285-293.
Fancy chair, 1822 - Coal, salt, soap etc. prices in Cincinnati Ohio, 1825-1892Prices for salt, cotton, soap and coal as well as many foods. Source: Ohio Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th Annual Report (1893), p. 798.
- Maryland - Retail prices in Baltimore, 1820Prices for candles, soap, shoe leather, hides, feathers, wool, gun shot and tobacco. Source: American Farmer, March 31, 1820, p. 8.
- Massachusetts - Prices for household itemsShows price of carpetings, cutlery and table utensils, paper, tallow, candles, soap, etc., lamp oil, firewood, brooms, matches, tumblers, silver watches, feathers, wine glasses, tobacco and snuff. Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 16th annual report (1885).
- Louisiana - household items and goods, prices in 1821Selling prices of dishes, cookware, linens, furniture, tools, guns, wagons, plows and more at an 1821 estate sale for a prosperous land owner in Ouachita Parish, LA. Source: Congressional Serial Set #661, pp. 118-127.
PRICES for CLOTHING and SEWING SUPPLIES, 1820s
- Massachusetts - Prices for clothing and sewing suppliesSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 16th annual report, 1885.
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Clothing: Hats, stockings, gloves, hose, shawls, and mittens.
Dressed up in 1822 (image source) - Cloth and dress goods: Calico, batiste, cambric, crape, gingham, gauze, lawn, muslin, linsey woolsey, plaid, silk, velvet and more.
- Dry goods: Damask, shirtings and more.
- Small wares: Yarn, needles, pins, embroidery silk, and more.
- Boots, shoes and leather
- Buttons and dress trimmings
- Ribbons and laces
- Fabric prices - Rhode Island, 1826On the same newspaper page, another ad for fabric prices.
- Clothing expenditures for slaves - Southern states, 1823Cost of hat, shoes, and fabric needed for one year's worth of clothing. Source: American Farmer, vol. 4, pp. 308-309, published 1823.
PRICES for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1820s
- Price of lumber by type of wood, and iron, copper and lead for ship buildingPrice paid by the federal government for lumber in 1818-1820; the wood was used to build ships. Prices quoted for oak, pine, cherry, ash, locust, maple and mahogany.
- Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materialsSource: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 16th annual report (1885) shows price of shovels, oak planks, house shingles, timber and nails.
COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1820s
See list of colleges and universities in the United States as of 1822.
- Harvard (Massachusetts) - Cost to attend in 1828"Estimate of the expenses of a student at Harvard College for one year...1828," p. 58.
- Dartmouth (New Hampshire) - Tuition and expenses, 1825Tuition and expenses would total around $106/year.
College costs: tuition, room, meals, light, heat, laundry, servants - College of New Jersey - 1829-1830Itemizes costs of attending, with tuition for 22 weeks ($44.00), room rent, heat in winter, servant's wages, laundry, etc., p. 11.
- Williams College (Massachusetts) 1823-1824"Good board may be had for $1 by walking a mile. The best wood is sold for $1.50 a cord. From 12¢ to 17¢ a week is paid for washing...." Tuition, $7.50 per term.
- Williams College (Massachusetts) 1829-1830Tuition: $24.00 per year. Board was $1 to $1.50 per week.
- Maine colleges - Tuition, ca. 1827Shows tuition and expenses for Waterville College and Bowdoin College.
- Kenyon College (Ohio) - 1828"The whole expenses of one year's board, tuition and washing do not exceed $60...." (pages 10-11)
COST of attending SCHOOLS and ACADEMIES
- Kentucky (Lexington) - Lafayette Female Academy tuition, 1825Tuition varied by department; board was set at $130 per year.
Colleges did not admit women in the 1820s - Maine schools - Tuition and board, 1827Accepted both boys and girls. Shows annual tuition and weekly board.
- New York (Buffalo) High School tuition, 1828Admitted both boys and girls. Tuition in section #19, p. 235.
- Ohio - Cincinnati Female Academy tuition, 1826Tuition was $4 to $10 per quarter.
HEALTH PRICES, 1820-1829
- Pills, medicinal ointments, and other remedies - Retail pricesNewspaper ad lists one retailer's prices for products to relieve fever, headache, toothache, coughs, rheumatism, etc. Source: Delaware newspaper dated Dec 14, 1824.
- Physicians fees in Connecticut, 1829-1838Fees for day and night doctor visits, consultations, mileage and more. Source, p. 25.
- Physicians fees in St. Louis, 1829Source: 100 Years of medicine and surgery in Missouri (1900), p. 52.
- Estimated annual expenditure for slaves' health, 1823Article estimates that an average of $1 was spent on each slaves' health needs annually. Source: American Farmer, vol. 4, p. 308, published 1823.
PRICES for SERVICES, 1820s
- Haircut and shave price - Alexandria VA, 1822One barber advertised rates at $9 per year for daily shaves; $7 per year for shaves 3x/week, and $5 per year for twice weekly shaves. This works out to be about 2.5 to 5 cents per shave.
- Haircut and shave price - Richmond VA, 1828Newspaper ad shows one barber's haircut prices at 12½¢ and shaves at 6¼¢.
- Theater admission price - Richmond VA, 1829Newspaper ad shows prices for seats at the Richmond Theater (box seats, pit, gallery, etc.)
- Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863Source: Historian of the United States Postal Service.
MISCELLANEOUS PRICES, 1820s
- Fuel wood by the cord, 1828Cites cost of fuel wood purchased for a steamboat journey from New Orleans to Louisville KY. Source: Travels in North America, 1827 and 1828, pp. 294-295.
- Book prices, 1817-1822List 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.
- Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscriptionUse the "Chronicling America" website to find prices and subscription rates for individual newspaper titles in specific years.
- Museum admission - Philadelphia, 1829Admission was 25¢, according to an ad in an 1829 Philadelphia city directory.
Transportation prices in the United States, 1820-1829
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Ireland to the U.S., 1828Steerage passengers paid $30 fare plus $15 for provisions.Source: Pamphlet #9 "Essay on emigration from Ireland, and immigration into the U.S.," p. 27.
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Liverpool to New York, 1827Cabin passengers paid 30 guineas to NYC, and 35 to return. Children under 12 paid half price. Source: "Extracts from an American journal", July 16, 1827.
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U.S. to Europe - Passenger fare, 1824Source: The American traveller guidebook, published 1825.
- New York to England, $140 (p. 402)
- New York to Havre, France, $130-$140 (pp. 403-404)
- Philadelphia to Liverpool, $133.33 or £30 sterling, (p. 389)
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Steamboat fares, 1825-1826The 1825 first edition of Northern traveller tells fares:The 1826 (2nd edition) lists fares:
It cost less to travel down the river than up- Buffalo to Detroit, $15 for a cabin, $7.50 for steerage
- St. John's to Whitehall, $6
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Steamboat fare between DC and VA, 1827The fare to Richmond was $10.00, meals included. The trip took 2 days.
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Steamboat fares on Ohio and Mississippi rivers, early 1820sShows fares between Penn., Ohio, KY and Louisiana. Source: Steamboat Days, p. 337.
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Steamboat fare on Mississippi River, 1828New Orleans to Louisville. Source: Travels in North America by Capt. Basil Hall.
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Travel fare and map prices, 1824-1825Shows 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. Source: American traveller; or, National directory by Hewett (1825).
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Stage coach fares, 1826This table of disbursements includes stage fare, meals and lodging for travelers in 1826. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set No. 156.
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Stage coach fares, 1826Fares reported in The northern traveller by T. Dwight (1826)
- From Albany, NY, pp. 344-349
- From Rochester to Utica, NY, p. 368
- From Augusta Maine, pp. 349-350 and other towns in Maine, p. 365-367
- From Boston, MA, pp. 350-358
- Plymouth-Boston accommodation stage, pp. 363-364
- From Hartford, CT, pp. 358-362
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Stage coach fares from Boston, 1829Lists fares from Boston to other points in Massachusetts and other New England states. Source: Massachusetts Register, 1829.
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Stagecoach fare and ferry charges in PA, NJ and ME - 1820sSource: Story of Railroad Passenger Fares, published 1942.
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Stage from North to South Carolina, 1821This travelogue tells what the author paid to travel from Wilmington to Charlseton by stage in 1821. Source: Prominent features of a northern tour, 1822.
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Funeral hearses in New Hampshire, 1826Tells the price (in dollars) the town of Chester, NH, paid for two hearses for funeral purposes in 1826. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869).
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Carriage hire, 1828Travelogue tells some of the author's travel expenses, including cost to hire a carriage, driver, and pair of horses (plus a baggage wagon) from Georgia to New Orleans. Source: Travels in North America by Capt. Basil Hall (1829).
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Horse values, 1825Lists the value of horses stolen from Delaware tribe on their journey from Indiana to Missouri. Source: Serial Set No. 126
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Lodging and board for travelers and their horses, 1820s
- Richmond, 1820 - Franklin Tavern
- Alexandria, 1822 - Charles Scott's livery stable
- Baltimore, 1829 - Fountain Inn
Saddle horse, 1826Prices in foreign countries, 1820-1829
PRICES in GREAT BRITAIN, 1820s
- Average house rent in Great Britain, 1821-1881Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
- England - Bread prices, 1817-1846Average prices of bread in England from 1660-1899 on pp. 27-35. Source: Three centuries of prices of wheat, flour and bread. Sources listed on pp. 21-22.
- Bread - Retail price in London, 1821-1848Source: Report on wholesale and retail prices in the United Kingdom.
- Prices and budgets for a family of five in London vicinity, ca. 1824Shows food, fuel and housing prices, estimated consumption and expenditures for a typical family of five in the London vicinity, based on annual household incomes. Source, pub. 1827. Click "More..." for direct links:
TRANSPORTATION COSTS in GREAT BRITAIN, 1820s
- Transportation costs in London, ca. 1827Detailed discussion of costs to buy and maintain horses and carriages, including livery stable expenses and coachmen's pay, compared to hiring a carriage and paying by the ride. Source: The traveller's oracle, pp. 11-43 and pp. 286-291.
PRICES in CANADA, 1820s
- Prices and wages in Canada, ca. 1820Emigrant'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 FRANCE, 1820s
- Tourist prices in France, ca. 1827Travel guide written for the British. Includes exchange rates for English money. Source: A new picture of Paris, or, The stranger's guide to the French metropolis, pub. 1827.
- Steam vessel fares from London to Calais, p. 16
- Carriage fare from Calais to Paris, p. 35.
- Cab prices in Paris, pp. 32-33.
- Restaurant prices in Paris
- "Average price of a comfortable dinner," p. 111
- Palais Royale restaurant menu with prices, pp. 105-109.
- Food and provision prices in Rouen, France, p. 65.
- Hotel and lodging rates, p. 97.
- Porter rates, p. 417
- Opera, theatre and other entertainment admission prices, pp. 426-438
- Gold prices at Paris, 1818-1823Source: Thoughts and details on the high and low prices of the thirty years, by Thomas Tooke, pub. 1824, appendix pages 7-8.
PRICES in ITALY, 1820s
- Italy - Food prices in Milan, 1801-1908Lists prices of wheat, bread, wine, beef, pork, butter and rice. Source: Bulletin of the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Vol. 20 #87, pp. 599-607.
PRICES in COLOMBIA, 1820s
- Medical fees in Colombia, 1822-23This author reports on the medical fees encountered while traveling in Colombia in 1822 & 1823: "In some inland places the medical fee was formerly una real, literally the eighth of a dollar; I have not any where heard of more than four reals, or half a dollar a visit." Source: A visit to Colombia, in the years 1822 & 1823 by Col. William Duane (1826), p.79.
Source: Universal cambist and commercial instructor, containing "exchanges, monies, weights and measures of all trading nations and their colonies...." By P. Kelly (pub. in London, 1821)
- United States, 1820
- Shows $ exchange rate at London, Amsterdam, Paris, Bremen and Hamburgh.
- Amsterdam, 1820
- Berlin, 1820
- London,1820. Another source gives rates for 1826.
- France, 1820
- Milan, 1820
- Rome, 1820
- West Indies
- East Indies
- More in the Table of Contents
Analysis and calculators, 1820s
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Nineteenth century wage trendsBrief booklet reviews wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. BLS Staff Paper #2.
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Online calculator: Present-day purchasing power of historic monetary amountsThe MeasuringWorth.com website provides online calculators, guides and tutorials to help researchers understand historic monetary purchases and payments in present-day terms, for the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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Currency converter, 1270–2017This calculator can be used to determine the historical purchasing power of currency in the United Kingdom from 1270 to 2017. Purchasing power is represented in its equivalence in horses, wheat, the yearly wages of a skilled tradesperson, and others.
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"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 Assn., Vol. 101 #2. Source
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Price of gold and silver in various currencies, 1797-1838Shows the price of gold and silver in Spanish dollars and British pounds. Also shows Hamburg and Paris exchanges. Source: A History of Prices... by Thomas Tooke, p.386.
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Marie Concannon, Government Information Librarian
Government Documents Department, Ellis Library
University of Missouri, Columbia
Email: concannonm@missouri.edu
Phone (573) 882-0748
