Library Guides: Prices and Wages by Decade: 1890-1899

Wages in the United States, 1890-1899

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ANALYSIS OF WAGE TRENDS

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PRICES in FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Farm labor - Wages

Farm labor wages, 1890-1899
In one simple table, see the national average for daily and monthly wages of hired farm labor, with board or without, at harvest or at other seasons for years 1890, 1892, 1893-1895, 1898, 1899. This is part of a larger table showing wage data from 1866-1922.
Farm laborer monthly earnings, 1890
Lists average monthly earnings with board, by geographic divisions for 1890 and other selected years between 1818-1948. See the explanation for this table here.
Farm labor - Average wages by state, 1866-1909
Tables 11-15 on pages 29-33 show average wages with and without board.

Building trades - Wages

Building trade wages by year and state, 1840-1900
Lists 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. Scroll forward in the source to see additional occupations. Source: History of Wages in the United States from Colonial times to 1928.
Building trades - Wages and hours in the U.S. and Europe, 1890-1903
Compares wages for blacksmiths, boiler makers, bricklayers, carpenters, compositors, hod carriers, iron molders, general laborers, machinists, house painters, plumbers, stone cutters, and stone masons in U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France and Belgium. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 53, published July 1904.
Wages for city employees, by occupation and city - 1890s
Wages for all the typical building trades are represented (carpenter, stone mason, bricklayer, electrical inspectors) as well as other jobs working for city governments. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 7, published November 1896.
Building trade wage microdata (not averaged),1890-1891
Reports monthly wages paid to individual, unnamed male and female employees in a variety of jobs at selected establishments in the states of MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA and RI. Occupations include carpenter, carpenter's helper, hod carrier, mason, mason's helper, painter, bricklayer, bricklayer's helper, steam and gas fitter, plumber, tinsmith, machine hand, teamster, roofer, plasterer, watchmen, foreman, apprentice and engineer.

Manufacturing - Wages

Manufacturing industries - Wages and hours, 1890-1907
Bulletin of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, No. 77, Volume XVII. Published July 1908.
Wages in cotton, woolen, and silk industries, 1890-1912
These workers engaged in spinning, weaving, printing, dyeing and otherwise performing tasks for the manufacture of fabrics. Shows hourly wages and typical hours per week.
Wages in lumber, millwork, and furniture industries, 1890 to 1912
Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 129.
Wages in automobile manufacturing, 1899-1955
Shows average weekly earnings. Although this is not a government source, it cites government data.

Railroad occupations - Wages

Railway employee wages, 1896-1907
For each year from 1896-1907, this source lists average daily compensation in dollars for station agents, conductors, telegraph operators, enginemen, firemen, track men, switch tenders, crossing tenders, machinists, carpenters and more.
Railroad cars, building and repair - 1890 to 1912
Shows wages per hour and hours of work per week for the years 1907 to 1912, with breakouts by state. Includes a comparison from 1890 to 1912. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 137

Political leaders' salaries

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.
State and territorial governor salaries, 1890
As reported in the World Almanac. See other editions for other years, for example this table shows governor salaries for 1899.

Wages by race

Wages for African-Americans by occupation, 1896
This source lists the occupation and average weekly earnings for several thousand sampled individuals mostly from Atlanta, Nashville and Cambridge, Massachusetts but also from some other cities. Note that this source lists the earnings of each individual and does not provide occupational averages. Some occupations include clergyman, teacher, seamstress, washerwoman, barber, shoemaker, tinsmith, nurse, well digger, coachman, waiter, railroad porter and more. Source: U.S. Dept of Labor Bulletin #10, Condition of the Negro in Various Cities.
African-Americans - Wages by occupation, 1890-1920
The book The Negro Wage Earner is not a government document but it cites government wage data. Use the table of contents to find the chapter on the type of job, then use the "Jump to..." box to quickly land on that page in the volume.

WAGES by OCCUPATION

History of Wages in the U.S. 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. Click "MORE..." for occupational/industry breakouts:

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- Bakers, 1880-1900
- 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.
- 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
- 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
Rates of wages in various occupations by city and state, 1890-1900
Wages for occupations in specific American cities, mostly in the states of MA, GA, PA, NY, NC, SC, IL, OH, NJ. Shows wage high, low and average. Table spans pages 766-812 in this source.
Daily wages by city in the United States and Europe, 1870-1898
Lists daily wages in dollars for many occupations including blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, railroad conductors, railroad engineers, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone masons, teamsters, plumbers, and more, in the U.S. cities of Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Richmond, St. Louis, St. Paul and San Francisco. The last column provides an average across all of these cities. Wage data tables for cities in Great Britain, France and Belgium begin on page 683. Source: Bulletin of the United States Department of Labor, no. 18, published September 1898.
Navy (U.S.) pay chart, 1893
This is not a government website. For original government documents showing pay, contact us.
Monthly wages by occupation and sex, 1840-1891 (not averaged)
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."
Wages - Index of all reports issued by bureaus of labor statistics, 1870-1900
This is an index to topics covered in all labor statistics bureaus, both state and federal and even some foreign countries. There are ten pages of entries under "Wages" listing wages shown in state and federal reports. Find report abbreviations spelled out here. The strategy for using this source is to identify a report you want to track down and then look for it in Hathi Trust's online digital library. Contact us if you would like assistance with this.

Wages reported at the U.S. state level, 1890-1899

WAGES REPORTED BY STATE GOVERNMENTS, 1890s

Click state tabs above. Don't see what you need? Contact us! We can find state-level occupational wage data for nearly all U.S. states as of the 1890s, and will add additional tabs to this box by request.

WAGES in COLORADO, 1890s

Colorado wages by occupation - late 1890s
The 7th Biennial Report of Colorado's Bureau of Labor Statistics shows average weekly wages for a number of occupations, including...
Barbers
Blacksmiths, Bookkeepers
Bricklayers, Cooks
Clerks and Salesmen
Coal Miners
Cigar makers, Carpenters
Drug clerks and Pharmacists
Engineers, stationary and locomotive
Farmers, Roofers, Cement workers, and Laborers
Lawyers, Metalliferous miners
Machinists
Printers, Painters and Paper Hangers
Physicians, Pumpmen in mines
Plumbers, Railroad Conductors
Railroad firemen
Stenographers, Typewriters and Smeltermen
Stone Cutters and Stone Masons
School teachers and Telegraph Operators
Waiters
Womens wages by occupation in Colorado, 1891-1892
See table at bottom of page, "Schedule of wages in leading occupations of female wage-earners in Colorado." Occupations include milliners, dressmakers, chambermaids, domestics, factory girls, sales women, confectionery workers, etc. Taken from Colorado State Bureau of Labor Statistics volume 3 (1891-1892)

WAGES in CONNECTICUT, 1890s

City government employees - Salaries in New Haven, CT from 1873-1921
This series of Municipal Year Books from New Haven, Connecticut, show salaries for police, firemen, school teachers, principals, building inspectors, clerks and other jobs working for city government.

WAGES in IOWA, 1890s

Iowa - Earnings by occupation, 1894
Tables show annual earnings of Iowans working in various occupations, with breakouts by sex. Note that by paging backward from any of these tables, one can find additional detail such as average hours worked per day and average number of weeks worked per year. Jump directly to counties:
- Clinton County
- Des Moines County
- Dubuque County
- Harrison County
- Lee County
- Linn County
- Marshall County
- Muscatine County
- Polk County -- note, this table extends to page 153
- Scott County
- Webster County
- Woodbury County

WAGES in ILLINOIS, 1890s

Illinois wages, 1850s-1900s
Bibliography of Illinois state government publications tell which reports show wages for various occupations: farm labor, mill workers, factory workers, teachers, miners, railroad workers, and more. Contact us if you need assistance tracking down any of the listings in the bibliography, concannonm@missouri.edu.

WAGES in INDIANA, 1890s

Funeral directors and undertakers' earnings - Indiana, 1899
The typical cost of a funeral in 1899 seems to have ranged from $60-80, and this presentation reviewed how much a funeral director might earn in a year, compared to his business expenses. Source: Paper read before the Indiana Funeral Directors Association in 1899.

WAGES in MASSACHUSETTS, 1890s

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.

WAGES in MINNESOTA, 1890s

Minnesota - Jailer's salaries at county jails
The biennial reports of the Minnesota State Board of Corrections and Charities include salaries of jailers by county for 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1896, and 1897.

WAGES in MISSOURI, 1890s

Wages in Missouri by sex and nationality, 1898
Report shows average wages in Missouri for a number of typical occupations in the building trades, manufacturing, baking, barbershop work, brewing, etc., and also provides cost of living data. Scroll forward in the source to see extensive tables and further occupations such as jobs with railroads. Source: Missouri Bureau of Labor Statistics biennial report, 1899.
Wages in St. Louis factories by industry, 1893
Report contains a brief summary of each industry along with a table showing average wages by trade. Starts with agricultural implements on page 53 and ends with willow-ware and basket-workers on page 108. Table of contents provides full list of industries included. Source: Missouri Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspection annual report, 1893.
Wages of employees of street railways, 1893
This report has tables showing 1893 wages of workers on street railways including conductors, gripmen, blacksmiths, cable tenders, engineers, and many more. Scroll forward to see more occupations, or see full list in the table of contents. Source: Missouri Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspection annual report, 1893.
Actual earings of coal miners and other employes at coal mines, 1893
This report contains tables of the actual earnings of 1139 miners taken from the pay-rolls of different operators. Scroll forward through the report remarks to view tables by county or see the table of contents for a list of all counties represented. Source: Missouri Bureau of Labor Statistics and Inspection annual report, 1893.

WAGES in NEW YORK, 1890s

Workers on boats on Lake Champlain (NY and VT) - 1890
This lake is in the New York/Vermont area. Lists wages for captains, seamen, first mates, second mates, engineers, chambermaids, deck hands, lookouts, watchmen, wheelmen, cooks, firemen, stewards, and boy helpers.

WAGES in OHIO, 1890s

Monthly amounts paid to officers, matrons, teachers and other employees of the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphans’ Home
For the years 1893, 1896, and 1900. These were not averages but lists of individuals along with how much each made.

WAGES in VERMONT, 1890s

Workers on boats on Lake Champlain (NY and VT) - 1890
This lake is in the New York/Vermont area. Lists wages for captains, seamen, first mates, second mates, engineers, chambermaids, deck hands, lookouts, watchmen, wheelmen, cooks, firemen, stewards, and boy helpers.

WAGES in WASHINGTON, 1890s

Ship workers in Washington state - 1897-1898
The 1st Biennial Report of Washington state's Bureau of Labor shows wages for many occupations based on ships, including deck hands, mates, boatswains, watchmen, engineers, coal passers, stewards, cooks and "flunkies."

WAGES in WISCONSIN, 1890s

Wisconsin - Wages by occupation, 1895-1896
Wisconsin's 7th Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor and Industrial Statistics included a lengthy section showing wages earned by people in a variety of occupations. These were not averages but lists of individuals along with how much each made as well as each individual's housing, fuel and clothing/dry goods expenses.

Wages in Foreign Countries, 1890-1899

Sources showing wages in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1890s

Click the tabs above for single countries.

European countries - Average daily wages in Britain, France and Belgium - 1870-1898
Very simple table compares average wages in the US, Great Britain, Paris France and Liege Belgium for each year from 1870-1898.
European countries - Wages compared to the U.S., 1890-1903
Covers the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, France and Belgium for each year from 1890-1903. Occupations include iron molders, general laborers, machinists, blacksmiths, boiler makers, bricklayers, carpenters, compositors, hod carriers, painters, plumbers, stone cutters, and stone masons. These tables are also available in the FRASER digital library.
Wages in Continental Europe, 1890s
This entry (pages 723-729) from volume 9 of the new volumes of the Encyclopædia britannica (1902) includes average wage data for France, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Russia, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

Wages in AUSTRIA, 1890s

Earnings of Austrian state railway employees, 1898
This brief summary of an Austrian report from 1903 discusses the 1898 salaries, including a table of average family income by district, of watchmen, gatekeepers, switchmen, and track walkers employed by the Government railways in Austria.

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Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, pages 1667-1669.

Wages in CANADA, 1890s

Canada (Montreal) - Wages
Also shows incomes and rent. Source: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, No. 14, Volume III, by Herbert Brown Ames. Published January 1898.
Canada (Ottawa) - Wages, 1897 and 1907
Shows wages and hours for dozens of occupations, including job titles in the agriculture, building and timber industries; as well as bartenders, restaurant workers, domestic servants, policemen, bookbinders, and more. Source: U.S. Consular report titled Cost of Living in Canada.

Wages in FRANCE, 1890s

France (Lyons) - Wages, 1870 to 1896
Lists wages for occupations such as blacksmiths, bricklayers, cabinet makers, carpenters, street laborers, machinists, house painters, stone cutters, teamsters, and more. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 22, published May 1899.
Daily wages in Paris and other cities, 1896
Table shows comparative wages of various occupations in 1896 and 1901 in Paris and other cities of France.

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Occupations include brewers, compositors, bookbinders, tannery employees, saddlers and harness makers, shoemakers, tailors, dyers and cleaners, weavers, rope makers, wheelwrights, wood turners, coopers, cabinetmakers, tapestry makers, lumber sawyers, carpenters, joiners, coppersmiths, tinsmiths, plumbers, blacksmiths, stove makers, locksmiths, metal turners, quarrymen, stonecutters, masons, excavators, slaters, house painters, ornamental sculptors, brickmakers, potters, glaziers, day laborers, laundry ironers, seamstresses, waistcoat makers, lace makers, embroiderers, and dressmakers.
Wages in printing and lithographing, 1896
Tables show the average daily wages of employees in French printing and lithographing establishments (by age group, occupation, and sex) in 1896.

Wages in GERMANY, 1890s

Germany - Wage trends, 1898 to 1907
Shows wages for miners in coal, copper and iron mines, stone masons, carpenters, painters, plumbers, gas fitters, steam fitters, stone cutters, metal workers, printers, railway employees (including mechanics, engineers, conductors, section hands, office workers, etc.), and workers on ships in the Baltic and North seas. This extensive article spans pages 793-812 in the Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor, #88, published May 1910.
Agricultural and coal mining wages in Bavaria, 1890
Shows wages for men and for women. Source: Bavarian Palatinate, published in London, 1920.

Wages in NORWAY, 1890s

Norway, annual earnings by sex, 1894
Norway discussion is on pages 1082-1085. Tables show categories of earnings levels, and indicate how many men and how many women had income in those categories.

Wages in SWEDEN, 1890s

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.

Wages in the UNITED KINGDOM, 1890s

United Kingdom - Wages by occupation, 1893-1913
Wages reported in UK government documents.
United Kingdom - Agricultural wages and earnings, 1890s
Describes and discusses wages by type of work and by place within England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. There is an excellent appendix showing additional wage charts with some wages reported back to the 1850s. Gives some indication of rent and other costs, as well. This is a UK government publication: Earnings of agricultural labourers... Report ...on the wages and earnings of agricultural labourers in the United Kingdom, with statistical tables and charts.
England - Cotton mill job wages, 1892
Weekly wages paid to spinners, weavers, bookkeepers, mechanics, clerks, and more. Wages are shown in dollars. Printed in a fact book published by an American manufacturer of textile machinery.
Female domestic servants' money wages in the U.K., 1894-1898
British report lists annual wages in pounds and shillings for domestic servants in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, with breakouts by age and class of servant. Job classes are listed in wage tables starting on page 32, including: cooks, housemaids, parlour maids, nurses, nurse housemaids, lady's maids, kitchen maids, scullery maids, between maids, laundry maids, stillroom maids, cook-housekeepers, housekeepers, and general servants. This report also discusses non-monetary compensation as well such as housing and meals for these live-in house servants.
Women's occupational wages in Great Britain, 1898
In this fascinating little book titled A dictionary of employments open to women, with details of wages, hours of work, and other information, one finds wages and working conditions for both the common and the more unusual occupations for women such as accountant, actress, agent/broker, agricultural laborer, apartment manager, appraiser, auctioneer, architect, art dealer, artificial eye maker (!) and much more.

Wages, 1890s - Analysis of Trends

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

Prices in the United States, 1890-1899

PRICES for FOOD, 1890s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Retail food prices by state, 1890-1903
This table (pages 664-845) has prices listed by state for each year from 1890-1903. Dried apples, beans, bread, butter, cheese, coffee, corn meal, eggs, flour, lard, fresh milk, molasses, potatoes, prunes, rice, sugar, tea, vinegar. Meats: beef for roasts and stews, steaks, salt beef, veal, chicken, mutton and lamb, pork, bacon, ham, fresh fish, salt fish.
Food prices and cost for nutritive value, 1894
Appendixes B and C on pages 28-30 list food prices in conjunction with nutritive value. Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmer's Bulletin #23.
Average retail food prices reported annually from 1890-1970
This one-page table shows the average retail prices for bread, milk, eggs, meats, fruits, vegetables, coffee, beans, sugar, margarine, etc. each year from 1890-1970. Data collection took place in about 30-60 U.S. cities. Jump to page 193 of this resource for an excellent explanation of the historical table and the methodology of data collection.
Groceries by mail order from Sears Catalog, 1898
The grocery section of Sears' 1897 and 1898 catalogs show items available for mail order, along with prices. Sections extend for about 10 pages. Unlike government sources, this is not an average of prices sampled from many different businesses -- it shows just the advertised prices of one retailer.
Restaurant prices, 1890s
Click "more..." for direct links to menus.

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Restaurants in places other than New York:
- 1893 Chicago -- Columbia Casino Restaurant menu
- 1894 Boston -- The Thorndike menu
- 1894 Tacoma WA -- The Chilberg menu
- 1894 Minneapolis -- Hotel Nicollet Cafe menu
- 1898 St. Louis MO -- Planters Hotel menu
- 1898 Pittsburgh -- Hotel Schenley menu
Restaurants in New York City area:
- 1892: Ladies' Restaurant menu
- 1892: Taylor's Restaurant menu
- 1892: Cosmopolitan Hotel menu
- 1892: Astor House menu
- 1892: Mouquin Restaurant & Wine Co. menu
- 1892: Braguglia & Carreno's menu
- 1892: University Club menu
- 1892: Dennett's menu
- 1894: A.W. Dennett menu
- 1895: Dennett's menu
- 1896: The Waldorf breakfast, supper and dinner menus
- 1896: Hotel Marie Antoinette menu
- 1896: Savarin's Cafe menu
- 1896: Windsor Hotel menu
- 1896: Hotel Netherland menu
- 1897: Plaza menu
- 1897: Waldorf Astoria menu
- 1898: Claremont Hotel menu
- 1898: Windsor Hotel dinner(?) menu and lunch menu
- 1899: Delmonico's menu
- 1899: Raimondo Braguglia's Cafe' & Restaurant menu
- 1899: Albemarle Hotel menu

PRICES for HOUSING & LAND, 1890s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Rent - Average cost in U.S. and European countries
Table shows average amount spent by families for rent, fuel and lighting, broken out by the industry where wage earners were employed. Compares U.S. rents to that paid by families working in similar industries in Great Britain, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland. Another table in the same source shows average expenditure on rent by family income.
Housing and rental costs - African Americans
Study found average rents being paid by African Americans in Nashville TN, Atlanta GA and Cambridge MA in mid 1890s. Taken from the section "Condition of the Negro in Various Cities" in Work and Wages of Men, Women, and Children published by the U.S. Department of Labor in 1897.
Rent per room in a Boston tenement, 1892
Source: chapter titled "Economic and ethical aspects" in the U.S. Dept of Labor report, The Housing of the working people.
Rent for tenements in Massachusetts, 1897
Table shows monthly rent for 4-room and 6-room tenements, and the cost for male and female workers to board. Compares to 1881 and 1872. Source: Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 28th annual report.
Average rent by occupation in Iowa counties, 1894
Table shows the average rent paid by people in various occupations, and the average number of rooms. Also shows the average wage earned by people in the occupations. Click "more" for links to Iowa counties:

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Jump directly to counties:
- Clinton County
- Des Moines County
- Dubuque County
- Harrison County
- Lee County
- Linn County
- Marshall County
- Muscatine County
- Polk County -- note, this table extends to page 153
- Scott County
- Webster County
- Woodbury County
Suburban cottage, cost to build - 1893
Article in Mechanical News: An Illustrated Journal shows a drawing of a 3- bedroom home along with estimates for cost to build ($2000-$3000). Floor plans are also shown. This is not a government document.
Land prices in Maryland - ca. 1900
Average prices for improved and unimproved lands in Maryland, by region and county, on discussed on pages 21-33. Source: Maryland as it is.... Published by order of the Board of Public Works, 1902.

PRICES for MERCHANDISE, 1890s

See tabs above for additional price categories

Prices of wagons, farm implements, machinery and hand tools, 1860-1900
U.S. Dept of Agriculture report 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.
Corset prices range from 40¢ to $1.50 in the 1897 Sears catalog.
1897 Sears Roebuck Catalog
Use the Table of Contents or click "more..." for direct links to products.

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Ladies:
Summer skirts, waists (blouses), suits, night gowns, coats, spring & summer coats and wraps, shawls, corsets, neckwear, gloves, stockings, shoes, more shoes, slippers, pocket books (wallets), folding fans, necklaces, earrings, brooches, hair ornaments, wigs, trimmed hats, perfume, opera glasses.
Men's:
Suits, coats and vests, more coats, fine dress shirts, tailored pants, collars, suspenders, sweaters, ties, scarfs, and bows, underwear, socks, night shirts, overalls, gloves, toupees, hats, caps, hunting clothes, shoes, boots, smoking pipes, pocket watches, gold headed canes, umbrellas and canes, cigars, pocket knives, razors and shaving supplies.
For children and babies:
Boy's suits, boy's sweaters, children's shoes, children's dresses, girls jackets, baby clothes, infants gowns, diapers, cradles, baby carriages.
Household goods:
Kitchen appliances, kitchen and dining room chairs, kitchen and dining room tables,stoves, refrigerators, telephones, cabinets, clocks, carpets, curtains, chandeliers, lamps, more lamps, wallpaper, silverware, plates, cutlery, china dish sets, glassware, coffee grinders, parlor chairs, parlor tables, couches, desks, beds, mattresses and pillows, blankets, dressers, combs, brushes, soap and tooth brushes.
Musical instruments:
Pianos, violins, guitars, banjos, harps, music boxes, harmonicas, drums, horns.
Sporting goods:
Guns, revolvers, rifles, bullets, gun cases and holsters, fishing rods, tents and hammocks, camping supplies, bicycles, binoculars.
Tools and hardware:
Tools, shovels and pitchforks, wrenches, blacksmith's tools, mechanic's tools, axes and hammers, pliers, paint brushes, plows, wheelbarrows.
Miscellaneous:
sewing machines, buttons, fabrics, microscopes, cameras, school supplies, books, ink, pencils, fountain pens, art supplies.
Sears Roebuck catalog, 1898
Shows over 1,100 pages of items available through mail order from Sears, including groceries, home furnishings, drugs and medicines, veterinary supplies and more. See the Index for complete list.
Bloomingdale's mail order catalog, 1890
Heavily illustrated catalog gives mail order prices for women's clothing and small household items.
Sporting goods, hunting, fishing, camping etc. gear prices, 1890
"Descriptive catalogue and price-list of sportsmen's supplies" shows prices for guns, outdoor clothing and gear along with drawings of the products.
Footwear catalog and price list, 1891
Illustrated catalog from a manufacturer of men's, women's and children's shoes, boots, slippers, rubber galoshes, etc.
Cook stoves and ranges - Prices, 1890
Catalog shows over one hundred models along with list prices.
Refrigerator catalog, 1895
Catalog of refrigerators and ice chests with prices, 1895.
Toys, gifts etc. - Mail order catalog items, ca. 1898
Mail order catalog intended for direct retail sales to the general public. Retail prices and postage costs are listed for each item. Most of the catalog focuses on "fun things," toys and novelties. Includes bicycles and parts, jewelry, watches, cameras, cutlery, musical instruments and more.
Silver goods, jewelry and personal effects - Prices for mail order, 1897
Illustrated catalog for a mail order business showing prices for jewelry, pocket watches, clocks, belt buckles, personal effects such as eyeglasses, umbrellas, cans, fountain pens, silver tea sets, and more. Check front matter to determine postage costs which was determined by weight of item(s) purchased. See also the 1896 edition.
Guide to American Trade Catalogs, 1744-1900
This reference source lists commercial trade catalogs published in the 18th and 19th centuries. Use it to determine what catalog(s) might have existed for the time period you need, then try finding the catalog in full text online in Hathi Trust. For example, check the lists of book catalogs
New book prices, 1872-1922
Each issue of the serial publication Publishers' Weekly shows prices of newly published books, music, and periodicals in both the United States and abroad.
Click 'more...' below for issues from 1890-1899.

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- 1890: January to June and July to December
- 1891: January to June and July to December
- 1892: January to June and July to December
- 1893: January to June and July to December
- 1894: January to June and July to December
- 1895: January to June and July to December
- 1896: January to June and July to December
- 1897: January to June and July to December
- 1898: January to June and July to December
- 1899: January to June and July to December

AUTOMOBILE and GASOLINE PRICES, 1890s

Gasoline powered vehicles - Cost to purchase and operate, 1895
Newspaper article from September 1895 focuses on the costs to own and operate "horseless carriage" powered by gasoline.... "To buy a good horseless carriage seating four people... from $1,000 to $1,750 is necessary...."
Motor vehicles - Cost to purchase and operate, 1899
According to the New York Tribune newspaper, "The best electric vehicles... cost from $1,000 to $3,500," and a smaller gasoline-powered wagon seating two passengers cost $750. Of electric vehicles, a Stanhope cost $2,500; a Surrey was $2,300; a Trap was $1,000, and a delivery wagon was $2,250.
Gasoline prices, 1890s
See further gasoline price data by clicking the "Fuel" tab above.

TRAIN FARE, 1890s

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Railway passenger fare, 1894-1918
Railway ticket prices were calculated on a formula of cents per mile, and from the time period 1894 until World War I they remained fairly constant at 2 cents per mile. See railroad passenger fare overview from 1890s-early 1930s in the section titled "Carrier Price," in the U.S. document "Passenger Traffic Report" on pages 38-39.
Passenger train fare in the U.S., 1871-1933
Average railroad passenger fare (ticket price) expressed in cents per mile.
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, "Changes in the Rates of Charge for Railway and other Transportation Service," a USDA publication.
Railroad rates and fares (passenger and freight)
Congressional hearing dated 1901 gives the history of early state railroad charters with regard to how rates were set for passenger and freight, and how such rates were to be publicized. See also section titled Passenger Traffic...Passenger Fares which discusses differences in rates around the country and compares to passenger train fare in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and India for 1897-1898. Source: Report of the Industrial commission on transportation.
Railroad passenger fares, 1891 and 1898
Shows ticket price to travel by train from New York or Washington DC to New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco, Portland Oregon, and more destinations in 1st and 2nd class. Also shows train fares for trips originating in Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, Denver, Philadelphia and Baltimore. See title page of this US Dept of Agriculture source.

HORSE-DRAWN VEHICLES

Horse-drawn vehicles in the Sears catalog, 1897
Buggies, surreys, farm wagons, etc. are on pages 710-727. The catalog also shows the prices of harness and saddles.
Horse-drawn vehicle prices, 1860-1900
U.S. Dept of Agriculture report shows prices of carriages, buggies, wagons, trucks, carts and sleighs or bob sleds for 1860, 1880, 1890, 1895 and 1900. Tables extend from page 14-28.
Horses and wagon costs, compared to motor vehicles, 1899
Excerpted from newspaper article, "Motor carriages in favor...what they cost and what it costs to run them: advantages claimed over horses," in the New York Tribune, Jan 29, 1899 issue Special Supplement, page 11, column 1.

OTHER TRANSPORTATION COSTS

Cab fare in New York City, 1898
Shows hack and cab fare in Manhattan, New York City, 1898. On the same page see porter rates.
Steamship fares, Fall 1895 rates
Gaze's Tourist Gazette is a good source for ticket prices from the U.S. to other countries, and from Europe to Asia. Find additional rates in other issues of this periodical.
Meal prices for passengers - 1890s menu prices
Click "more..." for direct links to food prices on steam ships, trains, passenger stations, etc.

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- 1895: Steamer Mary Powell menu
- 1897: Canadian Pacific Railway menu
- 1898: Northern Steamship Company breakfast and dinner menus.
- 1899: C. & N. W. Passenger Station, Chicago - Thanksgiving menu
Luggage prices in the Sears catalog, 1897
Mail order catalog shows prices for trunks, traveling bags and suit cases.

HOTEL RATES, 1890s

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Hotel rates, U.S. and Canada - 1897 and 1899

Hotel Monthly

The January 1900 issue of Hotel Monthly lists hotels alphabetically by state and then by city, with rates. The listing for Canada immediately follows the U.S. listings. There is also a January 1898 issue that covers 1897 rates. This is not a government document.
Hotel rates and railroad fares, U.S. and Canada - 1890
This travelers' guide shows railroad fares between towns on maps of each state. Hotel rates are listed alphabetically by state, then city. The Table of Contents provides page numbers for easy use.
Hotel accommodation rates in Europe, late 1890s
The Gaze's Tourist Gazette showed the costs of "coupons" which would cover both overnight hotel stays and meals. Page forward for hotels in additional regions. See more Gazette issues covering 1895-1899 in HathiTrust.

PRICES for ENTERTAINMENT, 1890s

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Theater and opera ticket prices, 1897-1909
Julius Cahn's official theatrical guide was a directory of all major theaters and opera houses in the U.S. It lists the range of ticket prices for each theater and shows rates for nearby hotels as well.
New book prices listed in Publishers' Weekly
The Publishers' Weekly magazine provided a list of all new books each week, along with prices, page numbers and description for each. Look for the section in each issue titled "Weekly Record of New Publications." Here is an example from 1891.

PRICES for SERVICES, 1890s

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Price of a newspaper subscription, 1869-1920
Look up by year, then state, then city, then title to find the cost of a newspaper subscription. Source: Rowell's & Ayer's American newspaper directories.
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.
Telephone rates ("inter-urban") 1880s-1890s
Article in the December 20, 1902 issue of American Telephone Journal (not a government document) recounts the earliest rates for long distance service. Note: inter-urban telephone service was very limited in these early years.
Telephone rates in New York City, 1887-1905
These flat rates for direct and two-party lines for business and residential customers in New York City were fixed while a metallic circuit system was installed from 1887 to 1894. A message rate schedule was then put into place in 1894, with new rate schedules adopted in 1895 and 1897.
Cost for horse, wagon and driver to haul material in New York City, 1899
In an article comparing the operating cost of new electric vehicles to hauling by horse-drawn wagon, a table shows breakouts for all costs relating to the latter, including stable rental, cost of horse feed for one day, cost to shoe the horses, cost to hire a driver and his boy helper, interest on the cost of wagon, harness, etc. Source: July 12, 1899 issue of Horseless Age.

PRICE of FUEL, 1890s

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Gasoline for cook stoves - Price in 1896
Gasoline formulated for use in cook stoves retailed at 12.5 to 15 cents per gallon. "A gasoline stove will do all the cooking for a family of live by using an average of five gallons of gasoline a week, making the cost at present prices from $2.50 to $3.00 per month" according to the Stoves and Hardware Reporter March 19, 1896 edition, p. 12, column 1.
Gasoline price - 1899
"In 1899, gasoline suitable for internal combustion engines sold for 7 cents a gallon while [in 1904] the retail price is 18 to 20 cents...." Source: "The rising price of gasoline," Horseless Age, Aug 13, 1902, p. 158.
Price of gasoline, 1899-1900
An ad for the Locomobile Company of America reads: "The fuel is available in almost any town at 7¢ a gallon." Further, in congressional testimony dated 1900, one witness reported that gasoline cost "7 or 9 cents a gallon."

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Side note: Inventor Hiram Percy Maxim wrote in the preface to his memoir Horseless Carriage Days that between 1893-1901, gasoline was typically purchased from paint shops or drug stores.
Gasoline tank wagon price in 1896
Tank wagons generally sold gasoline to dealers or customers who had the means to store large quantities. Those who bought gasoline in barrels generally paid more. In response to federal investigators, Standard Oil reported tank wagon gasoline prices at 6 to 10 cents per gallon in Ohio and Michigan in 1896. See context of this price investigation.

PRICES for HEALTH CARE, 1890s

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Wheelchair prices, ca. 1893
Catalog of surgical instruments, physician's supplies and hospital furnishings shows prices for "invalid rolling chairs" on pages 926-932.
Quinine, retail price by city, 1889-1891
Satirical cartoon lists medical fees based on patient wealth
Source: Puck Magazine, 1897
Quinine was used as a treatment for malaria. This source shows price data for individual stores in U.S. cities, but the data is not averaged.
Opium, retail price by city, 1889-1891
This source shows price data for individual stores in U.S. cities, but the data is not averaged. The table spans two pages; see row labels on every other page.
Opium - Wholesale price to pharmacists, 1897-1898
Wholesale prices for opium and other pharmaceuticals are reported in the American Journal of Pharmacy, Dec 1989 issue.
Drug and health products in Sears catalogs
- 1897 - Catalog prices for medicine and drugs, medical supplies, eyeglasses, hearing aids (ear trumpets)
- 1898 - Catalog prices for remedies, health supplies, etc. on pages 27-47.
Veterinary medicine prices, 1890s
- Prices for Patent medicines for dogs. The source is an 1890 sporting goods supply catalog.
- Mail order prices for veterinary drugs and animal health products in the Sears mail order catalog, 1898.
Physicians fees in Omaha, NE - 1891-1895
The March 1895 issue of The Omaha clinic published this fee bill adopted by the Omaha Medical Society in 1891 to set a maximum price physicians would charge for medical, surgical, ocular, aural, and nose and throat services
Price lists for medical services - Various regions, 1891
The physician as a business man, published in 1891, includes current fee bills for medical services as established by the medical societies in Chattanooga, TN; Camden, SC; Kansas City, MO; Puyallup, WA; and North Parma, NY.
Physicians fees in Chicago, 1892
Volume 3 of The Chicago medical recorder (1892) includes this fee table adopted by the Chicago Medical Society that year, listing price ranges for services from consultations to operations.
Physicians fees in Maryland, 1894
This fee table shows rates for medical, surgical, and obstetrical practice by physicians in Maryland as revised in 1894.

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Source: 96th Annual Transactions of the Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of the State of Maryland, 1894.

COST of EDUCATION, 1890s

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Harvard University - Student expenses, 1890-1892
One Harvard student spent $30 to $50 a year on clothes from 1889 to 1892.
This collection of letters from undergraduates, graduates, and professional students at Harvard University detail their expenses, including tuition, rent and board, books and stationary, clothing and washing, laboratory fees, furniture, and even a gymnasium locker. An 1892 Forxcroft Club price list is given in the introduction.
Tuition at colleges and universities, 1898-99
Where to educate, 1898-1899 contains sketches of private or semi-private educational institutions in the United States, many of which include tuition. Arranged alphabetically by state.
Tuition at Bethel College, McKenzie, TN - 1890-1893
The Annual Catalogues of Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, include tuition terms for primary, preparatory, and collegiate courses:
- 1890-1891 -- Tuition by course of study and extra fees
- 1892-1893 -- Expenses and tuition by course of study
Cost to attend a dairy school - 1896
This Dept. of Agriculture bulletin explores institutions offering courses on dairying. Detailed statements, including tuition and board, for each school can be found in the appendix.

Cost of Living / Consumer Expenditures - 1890s

Report on retail prices and wages. Part 1, 1892
Tables show retail prices and relative prices (price indexes). There are also tables showing consumer expenditures and some family budgets. Comparisons with prices and wages in England are shown as well. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 2916.
Report on retail prices and wages. Part 2, 1892
Part 2 contains tables relating to clothing, fuel, and metals. Tables are also broken down by state in some sections. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 2917.
Report on retail prices and wages. Part 3, 1892
Part 3 shows price data on lumber and building materials, drugs and chemicals, house furnishings, prices in England, and farm products. Tables are also broken down by state in some sections. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 2917.
Relative retail prices of food, 1890-1906
Tells how much families were spending on food in general but does not tell the actual prices of foods. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 71, pages 175-328.
Cost of living in U.S. and foreign countries
Focuses on family consumer expenditures. Includes breakouts by the occupational industry of wage earners, place of residence, family ancestral background, children’s ages and genders, and other categories. See for example the average amount spent on clothing, amusements and vacations and alcohol, tobacco, food, charitable donations, religious contributions, and books/newspapers. This was published as Part 3 of the U.S. Commissioner of Labor's annual report. Source: U.S. Congressional Serial Set vol. 2958-2 (1891/92).
Cost of living and retail prices in the U.S., 1890 to 1903
Shows no actual retail prices. It does show price increases and decreases over time. Also shows how much families were spending on certain things over the course of a year. Source: U.S. BLS Bulletin no. 54 (1904)

Prices and Cost of Living in Foreign Countries, 1890-1899

Prices and cost of living in MULTIPLE COUNTRIES, 1890s

Click the tabs above for single countries.

Money and Prices in Foreign Countries, early 1890s
Covers the UK, Canada, Mexico, Central American and West Indies countries, European countries, and a few more. Use the Table of Contents to find the start page for each country.
Average consumption of foods and drinks by country, 1891-1895
Shows average annual consumption per person by country for intoxicating spirits, beer and wine, as well as grains, potatoes, coffee, tea and sugar. Gives data for Great Britain, Ireland, Russia, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Balkan states, and more. Note: This source does not provide retail prices.

Prices and cost of living in CANADA, 1890s

Canada (Ottawa) - Cost for rent and housing, 1897
This page shows the cost to rent a 6-10 room house. Advance a few pages to see the cost to build or to rent a single room with meal privileges. Source: U.S. Consular report titled Cost of Living in Canada.
Ottawa, Canada - Retail prices of staple commodities, 1897
This table (from page 67 to 84) shows comparative retail prices of staple commodities in Ottawa, Canada in June 1897 and June 1907. It includes food, dry goods, clothing, furniture, kitchen utensils, hardware, leather goods, sporting goods, and more.
Ottawa - Hospital fees and life insurance rates, 1897 and 1907
Compares 1907 costs of hospital rooms and artificial teeth to those in 1897. Life and fire insurance policy rates also compared.

Prices and cost of living in GERMANY, 1890s

Market prices on provisions in German cities, 1899-1908
Two pages of tables show market prices (in marks and pfennigs) on provisions including potatoes, butter, beef, pork, and flour at 14 German cities for 1899-1908.

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Cities shown are Danzig, Breslau, Stettin, Berlin, Magdeburg, Dresden, Hanover, Kiel, Aachen, Munich, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, and Strassburg. Source: Investigation relative to wages and prices of commodities Vol. 3, pages 1290-1291.

Prices and cost of living in GREAT BRITAIN, 1890s

England - Bread prices, 1881-1917
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 and cost of living in INDIA, 1890s

India - Retail prices for food grains and salt, 1892-1916
Use Table of Contents to find start page. For example the salt prices begin on page 140. Source: Prices and Wages in India, published by the India government, Department of Statistics, 1918.

Prices and cost of living in ITALY, 1890s

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

Prices and cost of living in SOUTH AFRICA, 1890s

South Africa - Prices, wages, rent and cost of living, ca. 1895
See table of contents in this Emigrant's Guide for entries under wages, prices, cost of living, rents, etc. Published in 1896.

Prices and cost of living in SWEDEN, 1890s

Cereal (wheat, rye, barley, oats) prices in Sweden, 1836-1900
This table shows average prices for wheat, rye, barley, and oats in Sweden for 1836 to 1900. Yearly consumption per inhabitant for wheat and rye can be found in another table on page 156 of this book.