1930s statistics give the price of commodities and a slice of life's oddities from seventy years ago.
The population was 123,188,000 people in 48 states.
The average male life expectancy was 58.1 years.
The average female life expectancy was 61.6 years.
The average salary was $1,600 per year.
The average cost to purchase a new house was $3,450.
The average cost to rent a house was $22 per month.
40% percent of families lived in one-family detached homes; 25% lived in apartments. The remaining 45% lived in row homes or multiple family homes. 78% of people lived in homes with electric lighting, gas or electricity for cooking and an inside bathroom with a flushing toilet and running hot water.
The average male life expectancy was 58.1 years.
The average female life expectancy was 61.6 years.
The average salary was $1,600 per year.
The average cost to purchase a new house was $3,450.
The average cost to rent a house was $22 per month.
40% percent of families lived in one-family detached homes; 25% lived in apartments. The remaining 45% lived in row homes or multiple family homes. 78% of people lived in homes with electric lighting, gas or electricity for cooking and an inside bathroom with a flushing toilet and running hot water.
A neighborhod grocery store during the 1930s. | Some average costs of food staples include: Milk -22¢ per 1/2 gallon Flour - 5¢ per pound Bread - 8¢ per loaf Butter - 32¢ per pound Eggs - 33¢ per dozen Bacon - 29¢ per pound Round Steak - 28¢ per pound Average cost of a new car was $625; average cost less trade-in value was $300. 40% of families owned cars, almost all of which were purchased used. The average cost of gasoline was 10¢ per gallon The average savings for a family of four was $11 per year. Included in this average were 38% of families reporting yearly deficits of over $200 (12.5% of average income). |
Of note, yearly family spending on reading and education averaged only $7 in 1935, while yearly spending on entertainment averaged $82, much of which was spent on the movies. Then (as now) it's only human to seek an escape from the harsh realities of everyday life.