Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1860-1869

Wages, 1860-1869

Wages for four common occupations in 1860, by state
The 1860 Census showed average wages for a farm hand, a day laborer and a carpenter (all with and without board), and to a female domestic worker with board.

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This source also shows a complete list of all occupations in 1860, with the number of workers reported in each occupation, by state and territory. It is possible to download a machine readable data available through ICPSR.
Confederate Army wages
Chart published in the Confederate States Almanac (1862) shows the monthly pay of officers and privates in the regular service of Confederate states. Breaks out pay for generals, colonels, lieutenants, majors, sergeants, captains, corporals, artificers, musicians, chaplains and privates.
Union Army officer pay, 1861-1862
Army pay tables begin with the highest officers listed first. Page forward to find colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants, etc.
Military pay - Civil War (Union)
Military pay tables are cited in an 1866 book titled War Claimant's Guide by George W. Raff (not a government document). The book's purpose was to help people apply to the U.S. government for war-related financial reimbursement to which they were legally entitled. See Navy tables beginning on page 197, and Marine Corps officer pay on page 203. Pay for other branches of the military are elsewhere in the same volume.
Military pay - New Mexico Infantry (Union), 1863
See pay for privates, musicians, wagoners, hospital stewards, corporals, sergeants, majors and other officers. Also tells the bounty for serving at least two years.
Manufacturing wages, 1850s-1870s
Published in 1886 as part of the 10th U.S. Census. Also printed in Serial Set Vol. 2150.
Women's wages for sewing clothing, 1860s
Tables show what women could earn sewing various types of garments in Philadelphia and New York City. Includes hours and estimated weekly earnings. For explanation and further detail, see Chapter 3, Clothing and the Sewing Trades (pages 115-174) in this source.
History of Wages in the United States from Colonial times to 1928
Extensive tables show average wages paid each year for a variety of occupations, reported by state and sometimes by city, often broken out by sex, in the following industries:
- Building trades, 1840-1900
  Listed wages for bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, stationary engineers, stationary firemen, hod carriers, building laborers, marble cutters, stone masons, painters, plasterers, plumbers, stone cutters, granite cutters and tile layers.
- Clothing manufacture, 1851-1898
  Listed wages for dressmakers and sewing machine operators
- Farm labor, 1841-1899
  For further time series data, see USDA data showing farm labor wages from 1866-1920.
- . Manufacturing pottery in a kiln, 1860s
  Image source
  Glass and clay products, 1841-1898
  Listed wages for glass blowers, potters, kiln placers and turners.
- Iron and steel workers, 1840-1899
  Listed wages for furnace keepers for pig-iron blast furnaces and other jobs in iron and steel.
- Laborers, 1840-1900
- Leather products, 1855-1900
  Listed wages for shoemakers, leather cutters, stitchers, vampers, lasters and tanners.
- Metal trades other than iron or steel, 1840-1900
  Listed wages for blacksmiths in railroad shops, machine shops and other places, boiler makers in foundries and machine shops, core makers, horseshoers, foundry laborers, lathe hands, machinists, millwrights in flour mills and other places, iron molders, pattern makers, tool and die makers.
- Mining -- Coal mine and iron mine industries, 1840-1900
  Wages for coal mine drivers, loaders, coal miners, iron miners, drilling machine operators, timbermen for the mines
- Printing and publishing, 1842-1900
  Wages for bookbinders, press feeders, proof readers, compositors for newspapers and other shops, pressmen (operators of the printing press), stereotypers
- . Worker tends a cotton carding engine, 1860s
  Image source
  Textiles - Cloth manufacture, 1842-1900
  Wages for doffers, drawing frame tenders, cotton dyers, loom fixers, cotton spinners, cotton weavers
- Textiles - Hosiery and underwear manufacture, 1842-1900
  Wages for knitters of hosiery and underwear, weavers and winders of silk goods, dressers and dyers of woolen and worsted goods, loom fixers, spinners, wool sorters
- Tobacco product manufacture, 1860-1900
  Wages for cigar makers, tobacco stemmers and strippers
- Transportation industry wages, 1840-1900
  Wages for railroad brakemen, conductors for passenger railroads, conductors for freight railroads, locomotive engineers and firemen, longshoremen, 1-horse teamsters, 2-horse teamsters and teamsters non-specified.
- Woodworking trades, 1845-1900
  Wages for cabinet makers, coopers, sawyers, loggers, lumber laborers, woodworkers
Wages as shown in a Special Report on Immigration
Tables showing average weekly wages for factory, mechanical and farm labor... 1869-1870. Reported by states, including ME, NH, VT, CT, DE, MA, RI, NJ, MD, MI, MO, NE, IA, MN, IL, KY, PA, VA, WV, IN, OH, WI, IA, KS. Not all states are listed in every table. Try a search on state name or occupation in the full text. Some tables compare wages for occupations to that earned in England.
Prisoners of war wages
In June 1864, a military circular was issued on how much Confederate prisoners should be paid for labor, based on their occupational skill. Wages for Civil War POWs acting as carpenters, blacksmiths, masons and common laborers are each listed. More in History of prisoner of war utilization by the United States Army, 1776-1945.
Rates of Wages for 52 Years (Not averages)
Reports monthly wages paid to individual, unnamed male and female employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments in the northeast U.S. Industries covered: agricultural implement manufacture (MA), ale, beer and porter (NY), book and newspaper publishers (CT, NY, MD), building trades (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI), railroad car and ship building (DE), wagon and carriage manufacture (NY), city public works (MA, NY, PA) and cotton milling (MA). Source: 1893 report of the U.S. Congressional Committee on Finance titled "Wholesale prices, wages and transportation."
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.

FARM WAGES

Farm wages in southern states - 1860, 1867, 1868
Shows monetary pay for outdoor labor on farms, and details the rations and clothing that were distributed along with monetary pay in 1860. States covered: VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX, AR, TN.
Farm labor wages - 1866-1922
In one simple table, this source shows the national average for daily and monthly wages of hired farm labor, with board or without, at harvest or at other times. Data available for years 1866, 1869, 1875, 1879, 1882, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1898, 1899, 1902, and each year from 1910-1922.
Farm labor - Average wages by state, 1866-1909
Tables 11-13 on pages 29-31 show average wages with and without board. Table 17 shows average wages per day without board, and Table 18 shows the daily wages with board.

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Section titled "Extras Received by Laborers" explains the prevalence and value of non-monetary benefits paid to farm laborers, such as the use of a house or dwelling and garden plot, firewood for heat, stable and pasture for the worker's horse or cow, laundry service, occasional use of a buggy or a team for hauling, and one meal per day, pp. 49-52. Starting on page 53, there is discussion of the purchasing power of farm wages over the years.
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 here.
Farm labor wages in Missouri, 1866-1930
Shows average farm labor wage in Missouri with and without board, during harvest time or at other times. Source: Missouri State Dept of Agriculture.
Farm wages in Maine, 1866-1885
Shows rates per day and per month, with and without board.

SCHOOL TEACHER WAGES

School teacher wages by state, 1864-1865
Provides average monthly salaries for male and female teachers in the states of MA, PA, CT, MI, OH, VT, ME, IA, WI, IN, NH, IL and CA for the years 1864 and 1865.
School teacher wages in major U.S. cities, ca. 1867
Includes salaries of school principals, "assistants," art teachers and music teachers, broken out by primary grades, grammar school and high school in cities such as Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, St. Louis, San Francisco, etc. Table is not dated but it is likely from around 1866-1867.
Illinois school teacher pay by gender, 1855-1874
Table shows the high, low and average pay received by school teachers in each year from 1855 to 1874 in Illinois. Source: 11th Biennial report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Illinois.
Minnesota school teacher wages by county, 1862
Shows average wages for male and female teachers at common and high schools, German and English schools, "Colored" schools and private and select schools. Source: Minnesota Report of the Commissioner of Common Schools.
Missouri school teacher wages by county, 1860 and 1868
Report of the public schools of Missouri published in 1869 list average wages for male and female teachers, shown in alphabetical order by county, beginning with Adair County, MO. Compare to county reports of teacher wages reported for 1860.
California school teacher wages - 1860s
Many of these tables include breakouts for male and female school teachers.

MORE SALARY AND WAGE REPORTS FROM STATE AND LOCAL SOURCES

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.
California wages - 1850s to around 1900
Bibliography of California state government publications tells what books list wages for various occupations including teachers (1850s-1880s), railroad employees (1870s-1880s), farm workers (1890s), miners and lumbermen (1902), and sailors (1904). If you need assistance tracking down the publications listed in this bibliography, contact us.
Massachusetts - Wages by occupation, 1860-1897
Shows average weekly wages for 1860, 1872, 1878, 1881 and 1897 for hundreds of detailed occupations. This is an extensive table, scroll forward to see it all. Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor 28th annual report.
Massachusetts wages in manufacturing industries, 1860
Compares wages in MA to that of Great Britain (abbreviated G.B. in the tables.)
Fire department wages in Cleveland Ohio, 1864-1865
Lists all individuals employed by the Steam Fire Department along with job titles and monthly salaries for each man. This source does not provide salary averages.
Logging industry wages in Minnesota, 1868 season
Shows average monthly wages paid to men who worked on rafts and for labor in the woods. Also shows the price of logs. Source: Statistics of Minnesota for 1869.
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 - 1860s

Australia (Melbourne) wages in 1863 and 1868
Wages expressed in pounds, shillings and pence for agricultural laborers, shepherds, masons, bricklayers, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, grooms, gardeners, laundresses, maids, nursemaids, household servants, ocean seamen, and more. Source: 1873 edition of the Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.
Great Britain or England - Wages by occupation, late 1860s
Many tables in this extensive section include a column showing average wages for various occupations in Great Britain or England, usually for the years 1866, 1867 or 1868.
Great Britain - Wages compared to Massachusetts, 1860-1883
Mostly covers manufacturing industries. Wages reported in dollars. Each table spans two pages in the book. Scroll forward to see additional breakouts for industries but note that each table spans two pages in the book. Provides data for the years 1860, 1872, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1883.
Belgium wages by occupation, and farm wages in Bavaria, 1866
Farm wages for Bavaria appears on page 8. Wages by occupation in Belgium (in francs) are shown on page 9. Occupations include watchmakers, roofers, pastry cooks, locksmiths, hatters, glove makers, women lacemakers, pavers, engineers, lampmakers, house painters, stonemasons, cigar makers and many more. Exchange rates from francs to dollars are provided.
Scotland - Carpenter and joiner wages, 1869
Wages listed by town. Source: Journal of the Royal Statistical Society.
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.
England, Scotland and Ireland - Wages and earnings, ca. 1867
The book Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes (published in London, 1867) discusses earnings by occupation, wages and hours of labor, as well as prices of food, rent, tools, etc. and typical expenses for working class men and women, boys and girls in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Average wages overall are noted in the introduction. Note that shillings and pence may be written with a slash, so that 6 / 8 would indicate 6 shillings, 8 pence.
Sweden - Farming wages for male and female workers, 1866-1900
Shows average yearly salaries (besides room and board) for servants, the value of tenement laborers entire pay (including wages and provisions), summer and winter wages per day, and the wages earned in 300 days in Sweden for the years 1866-1900. Figures shown are in Kronor, but conversion rates for shillings and dollars are included. Source: Sweden: its people and its industry; historical and statistical handbook published by order of the government, Stockholm, 1904.

PRICES for FOOD & SUPPLIES, 1860s

Prices of food and dry goods by region, 1869-1870
Average retail prices of food, cloth and other leading articles of consumption. Source: Special Report on Immigration published by the U.S. Treasury's Statistics Bureau.
Retail prices by town in 15 states, 1851-1880
The 1890 U. S. census shows changing retail prices over time in about 65 towns for items such as fabrics and men's heavy boots. Flours, meats, fish, cheese, butter, beans, eggs, rice, milk and other provisions are in a separate section. (The figures were later used to make a price index, showing relative changes in prices for these items from 1860-1880). Click "More" to get links directly to towns.

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Food prices are for cities in alphabetical order by state:
CT: Bridgeport, Collinsville, Danielsonville, Jewett City, Middletown, New Haven, New London, Plainville, Waterbury, Wauregan,
FL: Jacksonville,
IL: Alton, Belleville, Jacksonville, Rock Island,
IN: Evansville, Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Washington,
IA: Cedar Rapids,
KS: Leavenworth,
KY: Louisville,
MD: Baltimore,
MA: Boston, Holyoke, Springfield, Woburn,
MO: Bonne Terre, Pilot Knob, St. Louis,
NJ: Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, New Brunswick,
NY: Amsterdam, Buffalo, Cohoes, Homer, Oswego, Rome, Schenectady, Troy, Watertown,
OH: Alliance, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Hamilton, Ravenna, Sloan’s Station, Springfield, Steubenville, Wellsville, Xenia, Zanesville,
PA: Beaver Falls, New Castle, Norristown, Philadelphia, Sharon, Williamsport,
TN: Jackson, Memphis, Nashville,
WV: New Cumberland.
Coffee, tea and sugar prices by town in 15 states, 1851-1880
Shows a progression of changing retail prices over time in about 65 towns. Also includes price of molasses and syrup. Source: 1890 Census.

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Listings are for cities in alphabetical order by state:
CT: Bridgeport, Collinsville, Danielsonville, Jewett City, New Haven, Plainville, Waterbury, Wauregan,
FL: Jacksonville,
IL: Alton, Belleville, Jacksonville, Rock Island,
IN: Lawrenceburg, Washington,
IA: Cedar Rapids,
KS: Leavenworth,
KY: Louisville,
MD: Baltimore,
MA: Boston, Springfield,
MO: Pilot Knob, St. Louis,
NJ: Jersey City,
NY: Amsterdam, Buffalo, Cohoes, Homer, Oswego,Troy, Watertown,
OH: Alliance, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Hamilton, Ravenna, Sloan’s Station, Springfield, Steubenville, Zanesville,
PA: New Castle, Norristown, Philadelphia, Sharon, Williamsport,
TN: Jackson, Memphis, Nashville,
WV: New Cumberland.
Retail prices before and after the Civil War
Comparative cost of provisions, groceries, domestic dry goods, house rent, etc. States included: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, DE. Dates compared: 1860-61 and 1867-68. Source: Report from the Special Commissioner of the Revenue, U.S. Dept of Treasury.
Food, grocery and provision prices in Massachusetts, 1860
Shows food prices by the pound, quart or gallon. Also shows the cost of soap, fuel wood and coal. Source: Massachusetts Annual Report on the Statistics of Labor, 1884.
Beer and ale sold by the glass in NYC - Prices pre-1861
According to this source, “Previous to the war ...the price per glass of ale or beer, containing fully one-third more than the glasses in use [in 1870] was six cents." Source: One Hundred Years of Brewing, page 230, column 1.
Milk delivery in New York City, 1861
The retail price for milk delivery was 6 cents per quart in NYC. This article in a U.S. Dept of Agriculture report explains how fresh milk could get from farm to customer without refrigeration.
Board rates by city for men and women, 1851-1880
Cost to regularly take meals at boarding establishments in selected towns in the states of CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MO, NY, OH, PA and WV.
Ohio prices, 1830-1862
Table shows the price of coffee, sugar and tallow candles by the pound; corn and wheat by the bushel and hogs per each 100 pounds for each of these years: 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860, 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual Report (1863).
Food and supplies in Virginia, 1863-1864
A price list prepared by the Confederate military authorities declared the price they would pay in Virginia for food, supplies, animals and other materials needed for the war. The list was to be in effect only for the months of December 1863 and January 1864. It listed prices for bacon, beans, potatoes, coffee, whiskey, molasses, salt and other food items; soap, candles, cloth by the yard, leather, army shoes, wool socks, tent cloths, railroad iron and mules. The price of a mule suitable for pulling a wagon was $300. A horse was $350.
Food and supplies in Virginia, August 1863
This list indicates what the Confederate military would pay for food, animals and other supplies "at all cities and usual places of sale" with adjustments for transportation costs. Note that a first class artillery horse was valued at $350.

HEALTH COSTS, 1860s

Price of artificial limbs - 1860s
Congress appropriated funds to help Union solider amputees obtain prostheses. "The maximum price that will be paid by the United States is: for artificial legs, $75.00; for artificial arms, $50.00... for artificial feet, $50.00. Should soldiers desire to procure more expensive arms and legs, the maximum price for each will be allowed in part payment."

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Source: The War Claimant's Guide: a Manual of Laws, Regulations, Instructions, Forms and Official Decisions Relating to Pensions, Bounty, Pay, Prize Money, Salvage, Applications for Artificial Limbs, Compensation for...Property Lost or Destroyed...and the Prosecution of all Claims against the Government, growing out of the War of 1861-1865," pp. 261-262. This is not a government publication but it cites government sources.

PRICES for LAND, FARMS and HOUSING, 1860s

House rent by city, 1851-1880
Average monthly rents by number of rooms in selected cities across 15 states. Source: 1890 Census.
Land prices and farm rent by state and county, 1869-1870
Prices by county for both improved and unimproved land. This 1871 U.S. Bureau of Statistics publication also shows the value of crop sales by county. Click "more" for direct links to each state...

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States available: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana Territory, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico Territory, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington Territory, West Virginia.
Land prices in Missouri by county, 1865
In addition to telling the price range for land, each county also reported whether or not it still had government land available through the Homestead Act at low prices ($1.25 or $2.50 per acre). Reported by the Missouri State Board of Immigration.
Land prices in Maryland by county, 1865
Document is arranged by counties in short sections. Find the price of various qualities of land in the description under each county. For example, see Worcester County, Somerset County, Dorchester County, Caroline County, Talbot County, Queen Anne's County, Kent County, and all the other counties by scrolling forward in the book or using the "Search in this text" box.
Cost to operate a plantation in the American south after the Civil War
Itemizes the costs of running a large plantation. Scroll to page 34 in this source to see how these figures were obtained. [This is a commercial publication, not a government document]
Prices of farms, houses, plantations, forested land, mills, etc. - 1866
Coverage for southern states, mostly. The Catalogue of real estate offered for sale and lease by the American Land Company and Agency [a commercial publication, not a government document] shows individual real estate listings in AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV and WI. Descriptions of property, along with asking prices. This source does not show final purchase prices, nor does it show average selling prices for real estate.

PRICES for ANIMALS, 1860s

Prices of cows, calves, sheep, lambs and hogs, 1860-1863
Shows annual average prices per head for 1860, 1861, 1862 and 1863. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Farm animal prices by state, 1867
Shows the average price per head for horses, mules, cattle & oxen, cows, sheep and hogs in the states of CA, OR, NV, WA, Dakota and NM.
Farm animal prices by state and county - 1869-1870
Prices for oxen, horses, mules, milk cows, sheep and hogs appear at the the end of each state's section. Source: 1871 U.S. Bureau of Statistics. Click "more" for direct links to each state, then scroll forward several pages to see the animal prices.

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States available: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana Territory, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico Territory, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington Territory, West Virginia.
Hog prices in Ohio, 1830-1862
Table shows the price of hogs per the 100 pounds for each of these years: 1830, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1840, 1845, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860, 1862. Source: Ohio Commissioner of Statistics, 7th Annual Report (1863).

PRICES for TRANSPORTATION, 1860s

Railroad passenger fares by RR company, 1850-1897
Source passenger fares expressed in cents per mile. The tables extend from pages 65-77. See title page of this source.
Railroad passenger fares for lines in Pennsylvania - 1861
The state send a survey to all railroads with track in Pennsylvania. Each RR told the average passenger fare price expressed as cents per mile in Question #96 of the survey. Scroll forward in the source to see survey results from more railroads.
Railroad passenger fares - Virginia, 1860-1865
Government documents are the source for quoted ticket price data in this book.
Railroad, steamship and stage coach ticket prices from New York to points west, 1865
Ticket prices by rail from NY to Chicago or St. Louis. Steamship ticket prices from NY to California. Stage coach ticket prices from Kansas to Denver CO, Salt Lake City UT, Idaho, Montana or California.
Cost to travel six months by covered wagon - ca. 1865
This navigation guide to the gold regions gives a list of all items needed for four people to take such a journey (wagon, food, tools, equipment, supplies) and estimates the collective cost at $850. Costs are not itemized.
Costs for American tourists in Europe, etc. - 1865
Section titled "Skeleton Tours" in the Introduction show the itemized cost of several suggested tourist itineraries. Source: The American travellers' guides. Hand-books for travellers in Europe and the East, covering Great Britain and Ireland, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Tyrol, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Spain, and Portugal.

COST to SEND THINGS, 1860s

Cost to send a letter by Pony Express, 1860-1861
According to Alexander Majors' own memoir, the cost to transport a letter on the Pony Express was $5.00 in gold for each half ounce.
Cost to mail a letter, 1863-present
Chart shows postal rates for mailing a domestic letter. Source: the Historian of the U.S. Postal Service.
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.
Cost to ship soldiers' remains, corpses, etc.
In the 1860s, the American Express Company was in the business of discreetly shipping valuable goods, jewelry, bank-notes, gold, silver over railroads or other rapid means of conveyance. They would also move corpses as described in this 1862 publication.

MISCELLANEOUS PRICES, 1860s

Prices of wagons, farm implements, machinery and hand tools, 1860-1900
Shows prices of carriages, buggies, surreys, farm implements such as plows and cultivators, carts, engines, tools, equipment and supplies for 1860, 1880, 1890, 1895 and 1900. Provides breakdowns by item category and type. Tables extend from page 14-28 in this source.
Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869
This 1869 directory shows prices and subscription rates for newspapers in in the U.S. and territories, in Canada and in North American British colonies. U. S. paper are listed alphabetically by state, then town.
Retail prices in Massachusetts - 1860
Average prices for various foods, provisions, fuels, dry goods, boots, rent and board. Reported for the years 1860, 1872, 1878, 1881 and 1897. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 18 published in 1898.
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.

Cost to attend college, 1860s

Until we locate a government source listing college cost averages, we will list expenses for individual colleges as we find them. These are publications direct from the colleges; they are not government documents.

Consumer expenditures, 1860-1869

Family expenditures in manufacturing towns, 1860 and 1867
Table shows how much families in New England manufacturing towns spent on food, provisions and rent, broken out by family size, for up to seven children. The same tables report average weekly wage income by family size. States included: ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, NJ, DE.

Wholesale Prices in the U.S., 1860-1869

Although we prefer to list retail prices on this website, it can be challenging to find data collected during the Civil War. Prices in various areas of the country could be quite different, and the economic environment was volatile. These links to monthly wholesale prices may be helpful to researchers

Wholesale prices by month in the New York market, 1860-1863
This congressional document shows prices for each month 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. Some items are priced are by the barrel, but others are priced by the gallon or pound.
Wholesale prices by month in San Francisco, 1863
Average wholesale prices in San Francisco for a selection of food items (pilot bread, coffee, rice, sugar, sardines, etc.), building materials such as lumber, cement and nails, supplies such as candles, and alcoholic beverages including rum, whiskey, wine and more.

Prices in Foreign Countries, 1860-1869

Australia
Belgium
Great Britain
India
Ireland
Italy

Prices in AUSTRALIA, 1860s

Australia (Melbourne only) - Prices, 1873
Prices of food products (meat, vegetables, dairy), tobacco, soap, candles, salt, wine, rum, whiskey, brandy, and more. Prices expressed in pounds, shillings and pence. Source: 1873 Victorian year-book, an Australian government publication.

Prices in BELGIUM, 1860s

Belgium - Working class family expenses, 1853 and 1867
Shows weekly expenses for families of 5 or 6 individuals in Belgium in 1853. Clothing expenses not included. Figures for 1867 are estimated by adding 20% to the 1853 data.

Prices in GREAT BRITAIN, 1860s

England - Bread prices, 1847-1880
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.
Great Britain - Prices as compared to Massachusetts, 1860-1883

Prices in INDIA, 1860s

India - Salt retail price, annual averages for 1861-1890
Tells how much salt one rupee could buy in the various districts and provinces in India in each year from 1861-1890. The quantity of salt is given in seers. 80 tolahs = 1 seer.

Prices in IRELAND, 1860s