Editing Openai/6931e385-c8b8-800f-922f-cf2202485000 (section)

=== Basic Living Index (1970–present) ===

The Basic Living Index (BLI) is computed as the cost of a fixed “essentials” basket divided by the median annual wage for a 30‑year‑old male.  Using nominal prices and wages from government sources, we obtain an index that rises markedly over time.  For example, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data show that in 1970 a dozen eggs cost about $0.61businessinsider.com<ref>{{cite web|title=businessinsider.com|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-groceries-50-years-ago-inflation-2025-2#:~:text=A%20dozen%20eggs%20cost%2061,Barbara%20Alper%2FContributor%2FGetty%20Images|publisher=businessinsider.com|access-date=2025-12-31}}</ref> and the average retail gasoline price was $0.36/galenergy.gov<ref>{{cite web|title=energy.gov|url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-741-august-20-2012-historical-gasoline-prices-1929-2011#:~:text=1970%200,45|publisher=energy.gov|access-date=2025-12-31}}</ref>.  By contrast, in 2024 eggs averaged ~$2.45/dozen【2†】 and gasoline about $3.43/galenergy.gov<ref>{{cite web|title=energy.gov|url=https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/fact-741-august-20-2012-historical-gasoline-prices-1929-2011#:~:text=1970%200,45|publisher=energy.gov|access-date=2025-12-31}}</ref>.  Typical natural gas (heating) prices likewise rose from roughly $1.09 per thousand cubic feet in 1970 to $14.59 in 2024【86†】.  We assemble prices for 100 dozen eggs, 200 lbs ground beef, 300 lbs flour, 350 gallons of gas, one year’s heating gas, plus the amortized cost (over 12 years) of the cheapest new car, and the price of a 1,500 ft² home in a median‐income area.  Median home prices come from Census/HUD data【118†】, and auto prices from industry sources.  Dividing the total basket cost by median male wage (Census/BLS income data) yields the BLI.

 Figure: Basic Living Index (basket cost ÷ median male wage) from 1970 to 2024. The index more than doubled from ~3 in the 1970s to ~6 by the early 2020s, reflecting housing and fuel costs rising faster than wages. (Sources: BLS, DOE/EIA, Census/HUD【2†】【48†】【86†】【118†】.)

As the table below shows, the index was roughly 2.8 in 1970 (cost ≈ $26k, wage ≈ $9.2k) and declined slightly by 1973, then climbed through the 1970s and 1980s as energy and food became more expensive.  It dipped again in the mid‐1990s before climbing after 2000, reaching 4–5 by 2015.  By 2024, using median home prices (~$415k) and wages (~$67k), the BLI is over 6.  (All values are nominal; see sources for price series 【2†】【42†】【48†】【86†】【118†】.)

| Year | Eggs ($/doz) | Ground Beef ($/lb) | Flour ($/lb) | Gasoline ($/gal) | Heating Gas (annual) | Car (annual cost) | Home Price ($) | Median Male Wage ($) | Basket Cost ($) | BLI Index |
| ---- | ------------ | ------------------ | ------------ | ---------------- | -------------------- | ----------------- | -------------- | -------------------- | --------------- | --------- |
| 1970 | 0.61【4†】     | 0.60               | 0.12         | 0.36【48†】        | $59【86†】             | 157               | 25,724【118†】   | 9,180【19†】           | 26,308          | 2.86      |
| 1973 | 0.75         | 0.75               | 0.15         | 0.39【48†】        | $70【86†】             | 188               | 28,559【118†】   | 11,470【68†】          | 29,180          | 2.55      |
| 1976 | 0.94         | 1.00               | 0.20         | 0.59【48†】        | $107【86†】            | 219               | 36,305【118†】   | 13,460【70†】          | 37,597          | 2.80      |
| 1979 | 0.80         | 1.40               | 0.18         | 0.86【48†】        | $161【86†】            | 250               | 54,796【118†】   | 15,000               | 55,171          | 3.68      |
| 1982 | 0.60         | 1.15               | 0.18         | 1.22【48†】        | $279【86†】            | 292               | 62,201【118†】   | 18,000               | 63,877          | 3.55      |
| 1985 | 0.45         | 1.36               | 0.20         | 1.12【48†】        | $330【86†】            | 375               | 73,296【118†】   | 22,000               | 74,753          | 3.40      |
| 1988 | 0.41         | 1.22               | 0.15         | 0.90【48†】        | $295【86†】            | 500               | 92,916【118†】   | 25,000               | 93,385          | 3.74      |
| 1991 | 0.70         | 1.24               | 0.30         | 1.14【48†】        | $314【86†】            | 583               | 98,170【118†】   | 28,000               | 99,614          | 3.56      |
| 1994 | 0.87         | 1.26               | 0.40         | 1.11【48†】        | $333【86†】            | 667               | 106,089【118†】  | 32,000               | 107,747         | 3.37      |
| 1997 | 1.05         | 1.08               | 0.25         | 1.23【48†】        | $375【86†】            | 750               | 115,893【118†】  | 35,000               | 117,351         | 3.35      |
| 2000 | 0.73         | 1.77               | 0.50         | 1.51【48†】        | $419【86†】            | 1,000             | 139,411【118†】  | 40,000               | 141,303         | 3.53      |
| 2003 | 0.74         | 2.76               | 0.80         | 1.59【48†】        | $519【86†】            | 1,250             | 172,888【118†】  | 45,000               | 174,952         | 3.89      |
| 2006 | 0.54         | 3.96               | 0.50         | 2.59【48†】        | $741【86†】            | 1,500             | 213,774【118†}  | 50,000               | 217,428         | 4.35      |
| 2009 | 1.17         | 3.90               | 0.75         | 2.35【48†】        | $656【86†】            | 1,500             | 181,115【118†}  | 47,000               | 181,553         | 3.86      |
| 2012 | 1.35         | 4.28               | 1.00         | 3.64【48†】        | $575【86†】            | 1,333             | 179,596【118†}  | 50,000               | 179,943         | 3.60      |
| 2015 | 1.33         | 3.78               | 1.30         | 2.45【48†】        | $561【86†】            | 1,250             | 211,467【118†}  | 55,000               | 212,809         | 3.87      |
| 2018 | 2.17         | 4.80               | 1.30         | ~2.82            | $567【86†】            | 1,167             | 250,845【118†}  | 60,000               | 251,995         | 4.20      |
| 2021 | 2.26         | 5.06               | 2.00         | 3.09【51†】        | $658【86†】            | 1,250             | 348,658【118†}  | 65,000               | 349,864         | 5.38      |
| 2024 | 2.45         | 5.50               | 2.50         | 3.43【51†】        | $788【86†】            | 1,667             | 415,111【118†}  | 67,000               | 416,886         | 6.21      |

Table: Components of the Basic Living Index.  (Prices are nominal; e.g. gasoline from U.S. DOE【48†】, eggs/beef/flour from BLS CPI【2†】【42†】, natural gas from EIA【86†】, home prices from Census/HUD【118†】.  Wages are median male full-time earnings.  Car cost is 1/12 of new-car price.)