The 1950s saw a range of events that directly and indirectly contributed to the price of groceries throughout the decade. One example, although it started a little earlier, is the National School Lunch Act, which was launched in the late 1940s but continued through the 1950s. It required school lunches to include ½ to 2 pints of whole milk, causing an increase in the price. Processed foods also became more popular.
Here we break down what happened certain years as well as what the cost of food would have been. For reference, $1.00 would be around $10.55 today, and in 1950, a dozen eggs would be 60 cents, which is the equivalent of $6.50 today.
To see food prices in other decades, visit our list from the 1960s and the 1970s.
- 1950: Cake mix was first introduced.
- 1951: The average family income was $3,700, and the average family spent 22% of disposable income on food, which totaled $814.
- 1952: 3 out of 5 families owned cars, 2 out of 3 had telephones, and 1 out of 3 had televisions.
- 1953: The Korean War ended, and government spending rolled back. Interest rates were raised to curb inflation, decreasing consumer demand and leading to a recession.
- 1955: Glass milk bottles were replaced with disposable paper cartons, and the microwave oven was first sold to consumers, which cost the equivalent of $12,000 today. On April 15th, McDonald’s opened, Coca-Cola® began selling soda to overseas armed services, and married women joined the workforce halfway through the year when job opportunities expanded.
- 1956: Minimum wage was raised to $1 per hour, which was an increase of 25 cents.
- 1958: Credit cards began to grow in popularity, and American Express launched an all-purpose credit card that could be used at stores, restaurants, hotels, and gas stations.
Grocery Prices each year:
1950:
- 1 gallon of milk: 83 cents
- Eggs: 60 cents per dozen
- 1 loaf of bread: 30 cents
- 1 pound of chopped beef: 53 cents
- Cabbage: 6 cents per pound
- Chicken: 43 cents per pound
- Oranges: 69 cents for 2 pounds
- Porterhouse Steak: 95 cents per pound
- Lamb chops: 49 cents per pound
- Lettuce: 25 cents for 2 heads
- Mushrooms: 49 cents per pound
- Onions: 15 cents for 5 pounds
- Pineapple: 25 cents each
- Potatoes: 35 cents for 5 pounds
- Sliced bacon: 35 cents per pound
- T-Bone Steak: 59 cents per pound
- American cheese: 45 cents per pound
- Frozen green beans: 24 cents per half pound
- 1 pack of Kraft® Cheese Slices: 29 cents
- 1 box of Ritz Crackers by Nabisco®
- Toilet Paper: 5 cents
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 16 cents
- Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 32 cents for 2 cans
- 11 oz of Nabisco® Oreo Cookies: 34 cents
1951:
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 13 cents
- Round steak: $1.09 per pound
- Pork chops: 79 cents per pound
- Whole chickens: 60 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 5 cents per pound
- Eggs: 74 cents per dozen
- White bread: 16 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 67 cents per pound
- Fresh delivered milk: 46 cents for half a gallon
1952:
- Apples: 39 cents for 2 pounds
- Chuck Roast: 59 cents per pound
- 1 Family Style loaf of bread: 12 cents
- Grapefruit: 25 cents for 6
- Lettuce: 25 cents for 2 heads
- Pork Roast: 39 cents per pound
- Sirloin steak: 55 cents per pound
- Round steak: $1.11 per pound
- Sugar: 43 cents for 5 pounds
- Coffee: 37 cents for 1 pound
- 2 cans of Heinz® Cream of Tomato: 25 cents
- 1 pack of Lux Flakes®: 27 cents
- Margarine: 19 cents per pound
- Palmolive®: 21 cents for 3
Palmolive Pomade, 1955. © isamunangpatalastas.blogspot.com.
- Peanut butter: 29 cents
- 3 cans of Pork and Beans: 25 cents
- 1 large pack of Tide® Powder: 67 cents
- Eggs: 67 cents per dozen
- White bread: 16 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 65 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 76 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 48 cents for half a gallon
1953:
- Potatoes: 35 cents for a 10-pound bag
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 15 cents
- Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 32 cents for 3 cans
- 25 oz of Nabisco® Oreo Cookies: 23 cents
- Eggs: 70 cents per dozen
- White bread: 16 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 79 cents per pound
- Round steak: 92 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 54 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 47 cents for half a gallon
1954:
- Rib Roast: 29 cents per pound
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 25 cents
- Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 33 cents for 10 ½ oz cans of 3
- 7/8 oz Hershey’s Chocolate Bar: 5 cents
- 25 oz of Nabisco ® Oreo Cookies: 21 cents
- Eggs: 59 cents per dozen
- White bread: 17 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 82 cents per pound
- Round steak: 91 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 53 cents per 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 46 cents for half a gallon
1955:
- 1 gallon of milk: 93 cents
- Eggs: 61 cents per dozen
- 1 can of Spam®: 39 cents
- 1 pound Box of Chocolates: $1.86
- McDonald’s regular hamburger: 15 cents
- McDonald’s regular cheeseburger: 19 cents
- McDonald’s milkshake: 20 cents
- McDonald’s soda with an order of fries: 10 cents
- 11.75 oz of Nabisco ® Oreo Cookies: 39 cents
Colgate Soap, 1956. © isamunangpatalastas.blogspot.com.
- White bread: 18 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 66 cents per pound
- Round steak: 90 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 56 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 46 cents for half a gallon
1956:
- Eggs: 79 cents per dozen
- Kraft® Miracle Whip: 55 cents
- Toothpaste: 29 cents
- 75 oz of Nabisco ® Oreo Cookies: 33 cents
- 2 packages of 8 oz boxes of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 29 cents
- White bread: 18 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 57 cents per pound
- Round steak: 88 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 68 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 48 cents for a half gallon
1957:
- Bananas: 27 cents for 2 pounds
- Hamburger meat: 89 cents for 3 pounds
- Perch: 49 cents per pound
- 1 can of Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 10 cents
- Carnation® Milk Can: 14 cents
- Frozen chicken pie: 19 cents
- Grape jelly: 19 cents
- 1 can of Hunt’s Fruit Cocktail: 23 cents
Hunt’s Fruit Cocktail, 1957. © isamunangpatalastas.blogspot.com.
- 1 box of Jiff®y Cake Mix: 10 cents
- 1 box of Kellogg’s® Shredded Wheat: 18 cents
- 1 jar of Kraft® Maxwell House Instant Coffee: $1.19
- Pillsbury cinnamon rolls: 23 cents
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 17 cents
- 75 oz of Nabisco® Oreo Cookies: 35 cents
- Eggs: 57 cents per dozen
- White bread: 19 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 74 cents per pound
- Round steak: 94 cents per pound
- Potatoes: 57 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 50 cents for half a gallon
1958:
- 8 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 18 cents
- Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 10 cents for 10 ½ oz can
- 7/8 oz Hershey’s Chocolate Bar: 5 cents
- 75 oz of Nabisco® Oreo Cookies: 33 cents
- Eggs: 60 cents per dozen
- White bread: 19 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 79 cents per pound
- Round steak: $1.04 per pound
- Potatoes: 63 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 51 cents for half a gallon
1959:
- Cream corn: 38 cents for 3 cans
- Gerber® Baby Foods: 10 cents
- Hunt’s Tomato Juice: 15 cents
- 12 oz box of Kellogg’s® Corn Flakes: 22 cents
- 1 can of Campbell’s® Tomato Soup: 10 cents
- 75 oz of Nabisco® Oreo Cookies: 37 cents
- Eggs: 53 cents per dozen
- White bread: 20 cents per pound
- Sliced bacon: 67 cents per pound
- Round steak: $1.07 per pound
- Potatoes: 63 cents for 10 pounds
- Fresh delivered milk: 51 cents for half a gallon
Sources:
http://isamunangpatalastas.blogspot.com/2018/12/194-when-colgate-was-soap-bar-and-hunts.html
https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/this-is-what-groceries-cost-the-year-you-were-born/
https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/50sfood.html
https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq5.html
https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/money_01.html
https://stacker.com/stories/1227/cost-goods-year-you-were-born