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.), 1820-1821Source 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.
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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-presentLists salaries along with dates of enactment and statutory authority for each pay increase.
Wages by U.S. state, 1820-1829
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Wages by occupation in Massachusetts (1820s)From the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 16th Annual Report.
- Agricultural laborers 1752-1860
- Blacksmiths 1781-1860
- Butchers 1771-1827
- Carpenters 1772-1860
- Clockmakers 1815-1860
- Clothing makers 1803-1860
- Cordage makers 1825-1860
- Glass makers 1822-1855
- Harness makers 1815-1860
- Laborers 1752-1860
- Masons, 1774-1860
- Metal workers 1815-1860
- Millwrights 1799-1858
- Nail makers 1781- 1855
- Painters 1801-1860
- Paper mill operatives 1815-1857
- Printers 1815-1860
- Ship/boat builders, 1789-1845
- Shoemakers 1754-1858
- Tanner/curriers, 1815-1860
- Wooden goods makers (coopers) 1809-1860
- Woollen mill operatives 1828-1860
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New Hampshire wages, 1820sThe 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of wages dating from the 1820s. Pages 39-41 focus on 1820-1830. It tells us that in 1825, an man made $10 a month or $18 a month in haying; in 1829, haying paid 67 cents per day.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Worldwide wages by occupation (A-Z) and country, 1820-1829
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 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
Wages by foreign county and occupation, 1820-1829
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Spain - Wages in 1827, 1868 and 1902Tells wages in pesetas. Luxemburg and Limburg published in Great Britain by the Historical Section of the Foreign Office p. 44.
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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.
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Wales - "Sin eater" pay"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.
Economic analysis and calculators, 1820s
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Nineteenth century wage trends30-page booklet reviews overall wage trends from 1800-1899. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 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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Historical purchasing power - UK National ArchivesThis 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 Association, Vol. 101 #2. Source
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Price of gold and silver in various currencies, 1797-1838Shows 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, p.386.
Prices in the United States, 1820-1829
PRICES for FOOD, 1820s
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Massachusetts - Prices for food, 1700s-1850sSource: Comparative wages, prices, and cost of living from the 16th Annual report of the Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor.
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Food, fuel and provision prices in Cincinnati, 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 Bureau of Labor Statistics, 17th Annual Report (1893).
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Prices in Pennsylvania, 1820-1829A farm family's account book shows a variety of items that were purchased, along with prices. Source: "Farm prices in two centuries," Report of the Statistician, USDA, p. 343-344.
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New Hampshire prices, 1820sThe 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of prices dating from the 1820s. Pages 39-41 focus on 1820-1830 and pages 42-43 look at 1826 and 1827.
Food prices in New York
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Food and provision prices in New York, 1825-1882Shows the lowest and highest prices of 25 foodstuffs and provisions in New York City over 56 years between 1825-1882. Source: Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics of Michigan, pp. 248-250
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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.
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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
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Unimproved land prices in Maine, 1824-1855Shows average price per acre for public land (largely timbered) conveyed by the state government. Source: 1855 Annual report of the Land Agency of the state of Maine, pp. 22-23.
PRICES for HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, 1820s
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Prices of staple items in the New York market, 1820sThis 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. Begins on page 285.
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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.
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New Hampshire prices, 1820sThe 1872 Report of Commissioners on Bureau of Labor Statistics to the [New Hampshire] Legislature is an incredibly rich source of prices dating from the 1820s. Pages 39-41 focus on 1820-1830 and pages 42-43 look at 1826 and 1827.
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Massachusetts - Prices for household itemsThe 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.
- Furniture
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Louisiana - household items and goods, prices in 1821Itemized selling prices at the 1821 estate sale for a prosperous land owner in Ouachita Parish, LA. Items sold included dishes, cookware, linens, furniture, tools, guns, wagons, plows and more. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set #661, pp. 118-127.
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Clock as sold by peddlers, 1820sThis items describes how clock movements were "hawked about the country by peddlers" for about $20 in 1820-1830. Source: History of old Chester [N.H.] from 1719 to 1869 by Benjamin Chase (1869).
PRICES for CLOTHING and SEWING SUPPLIES, 1820s
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Massachusetts - Prices for clothing and sewing suppliesThe 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.
- Clothing
PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1820s
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Price to travel from Ireland to the U.S., 1828Source 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," p. 27.
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Price to travel from England to Quebec, ca. 1825The cost of ocean passage plus provisions was estimated at 7 guineas for adult passengers. Source: A short sketch of the province of Upper Canada by Boulton, p. 31.
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Passenger rates to sail from the U.S. to Europe, 1824Source: The American traveller guidebook (pub. 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)
By STEAMBOAT
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Steamboat fares, 1825-1826The 1825 first edition of Northern traveller tells steamboat fares:The 1826 (2nd edition) lists fares:
- Buffalo to Detroit, $15 for a cabin, $7.50 for steerage
- St. John's to Whitehall, $6
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Steamboat fares on Ohio and Mississippi rivers, early 1820sShows fares and travel times between Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and Louisiana. Source: Steamboat Days, p. 337.
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Steamboat fare on Mississippi River, 1828This travelogue reports the steamboat fare from New Orleans to Louisville. Source: Travels in North America, in the years 1827 and 1828 by Captain 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).
In 1823, it By STAGE COACH
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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).
By HORSE, etc.
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Carriage hire, 1828This 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 Source: Travels in North America by Captain Basil Hall (1829).
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Cost of horses, 1825Lists the value (or replacement cost) of horses stolen from the 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 for TOOLS and BUILDING MATERIALS, 1820s
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Price of lumber by type of wood, and iron, copper and lead for ship buildingSource 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.
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Massachusetts - Prices for hardware and building materialsThe 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, p. 150. - Lumber
Price for boards, plank, shingles, timber, clapboards, etc. by the foot, p. 129. - Tacks, brads and nails
Priced by the pound. Earliest prices date to 1790s, p. 147.
- Tools and implements
COST of ATTENDING COLLEGE, 1820s
Here is a list of colleges and universities in the United States as of 1822, along with date of incorporation and numbers of students and professors.
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Harvard - Cost to attend in 1828"Estimate of the expenses of a student at Harvard College for one year...1828," p. 58.
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College of New Jersey - 1829-1830Itemizes the cost of attending the college, with tuition for 22 weeks ($44.00), room rent, fuel in winter, servant's wages, washing, etc, p. 11.
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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.
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Williams College (Massachusetts) 1829-1830Tuition at $8.00 per term amounted to $24.00 per year. Board was $1 to $1.50 per week.
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Kenyon College (Ohio) - 1828"The whole expenses of one year's board, tuition and washing do not exceed 60 dollars...."
HEALTH PRICES, 1820-1829
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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.
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Medical charges in Boston, 1820 & 1825
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Physicians fees in Connecticut, 1829-1838This list of fees for physicians in the New Haven, CT area was established in 1829 and was not revised until 1838. It set prices for day and night visits, consultations, mileage, parturition, venesection, cathartic, and emetic.
PRICES for SERVICES, 1820s
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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.
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Haircut and shave price - Richmond VA, 1828Newspaper ad shows one barber's haircut prices at 12½¢ and shaves at 6¼¢.
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Theater admission price - Richmond VA, 1829Newspaper ad shows prices for seats at the Richmond Theater (box seats, pit, gallery, etc.)
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Postage rates for letters mailed in the U.S., 1792-1863Chart 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.
MISCELLANEOUS PRICES, 1820s
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Fuel wood by the cord, 1828Travelogue tells the cost of fuel wood purchased for a steamboat journey up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Louisville KY. Source: Travels in North America, in the years 1827 and 1828, pp. 294-295.
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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.
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Price of a newspaper or newspaper subscriptionWe recommend using the Library of Congress' "Chronicling America" website to find prices and subscription rates for individual newspaper titles in specific years.
Prices in Foreign Countries, 1820-1829
PRICES in GREAT BRITAIN, 1820s
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Average house rent in Great Britain, 1821-1881Amounts shown in British currency. Source: Mulhill's Dictionary of Statistics, p. 236.
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England - Bread prices, 1817-1846Shows 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. Sources listed on pp. 21-22.
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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: A New system of practical domestic economy, published 1827. Click "MORE..." for direct links:
TRANSPORTATION COSTS in GREAT BRITAIN, 1820s
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Transportation costs in London, ca. 1827Detailed examination of costs to buy and maintain horses and carriages, including options to use a livery stable and hire coachmen, compared compared to hiring hackney coaches per ride. Source: The traveller's oracle, pp. 11-43 and pp. 286-291.
See "The Traveller's Oracle" published in 1827 for information on the cost of horses.
(image source)
PRICES in CANADA, 1820s
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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
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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
PRICES in ITALY, 1820s
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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
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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 dollar exchange rate for currency in London, Amsterdam, Paris, Bremen and Hamburgh only.
- Amsterdam (1820)
- Berlin (1820)
- London (1820)
- France (1820)
- Milan (1820)
- Rome (1820)
- West Indies
- East Indies
- More in the Table of Contents
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