This Is How Much Bacon Cost The Year You Were Born

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You've probably heard countless stories about how cheap it was to buy a house back when your parents or grandparents were young, but understanding how much prices have risen since then may be easier to understand when it comes to everyday items. One such item is bacon, as in the kind you eat for breakfast. While bacon and eggs only made their way to the breakfast table in the 1920s, the processed meat has been part of the American diet since pigs first arrived on the continent in the 1500s.

These days the average American eats around 18 pounds of bacon annually. And, when you consider those that don't eat pork or meat in general, some of you out there are picking up some serious slack. If you're concerned about the cost of your breakfast staples, it's not a new problem. Over the years, the increase in price hasn't been a steady one, even without adjusting for inflation. Everything from war to recession to health concerns has led to spikes and falls in the absolute price.

So, if you're curious about how much bacon cost when you were born, we have some good news for you. Here's how much bacon costs over the decades, and how changes in food trends have seen bacon used in different meals throughout.

At the beginning of the 1940s, the U.S. had gotten involved in World War II and food was under strict rationing. Recipes were designed to stretch the meat as far as possible, with bacon served not in rashers, but cut up for salads or casseroles. Bacon fat used to flavor cornbread or cookies.

Here is how the costs per pound changed over the decade. 1940: 23 cents, 1941: 29 cents, 1942: 33 cents, 1943: 35 cents, 1944: 33 cents, 1945: 33 cents, 1946: 44 cents, 1947: 64 cents, 1948: 63 cents, 1949: 55 cents.

With rationing over, bacon was back on the breakfast table. It also became a lunchtime staple with the BLT. Although the sandwich dates to the 1920s, it was only with more access to ingredients post-war that it became popular to make a fresh BLT at home.

Here is the breakdown for the '50s. 1950: 52 cents, 1951: 55 cents, 1952: 53 cents, 1953: 65 cents, 1954: 67 cents, 1955: 54 cents, 1956: 48 cents, 1957: 62 cents, 1958: 66 cents, 1959: 55 cents.

You may think that bacon on a cheeseburger is an obvious addition, but it wasn't until 1963 that it was first sold on a fast food burger at an A&W restaurant. At home, folks were cooking up bacon strip pancakes from a recipe in an Aunt Jemima advertisement from 1962.

Here is how prices changed per pound throughout the '60s. 1960: 54 cents, 1961: 59 cents, 1962: 58 cents, 1963: 57 cents, 1964: 57 cents, 1965: 69 cents, 1966: 81 cents, 1967: 71 cents, 1968: 70 cents, 1969: 75 cents.

Quiche Lorraine was a must-have dish for 1970s dinner parties thanks to the growing influence of Julia Child. However, those opting for buffet-style parties may have added Devils on Horseback and bacon-filled cheese balls to the spread.

With those recipes in mind, here's how the price of bacon shifted per pound throughout the decade. 1970: 82 cents, 1971: 69 cents, 1972: 84 cents, 1973: $1.15, 1974: $1.15, 1975: $1.54, 1976: $1.50, 1977: $1.38, 1978: $1.59, 1979: $1.47.

Bacon fell out of favor somewhat with the rise of diet culture, leading to the popularity of leaner alternatives such as Sizzlean. But if there was one way you could still enjoy bacon reasonably guilt-free, it was when eating a wedge salad.

Here are the prices of bacon throughout the '80s. 1980: $1.46, 1981: $1.66, 1982: $2.04, 1983: $1.94, 1984: $1.87, 1985: $1.95, 1986: $2.09, 1987: $2.16, 1988: $1.90, 1989: $1.79.

Despite the fat-free messaging still hanging on, there were signs that bacon was returning to favor. Hardee's released the bacon-topped Frisco Burger; McDonald's offered a Double Bacon Cheeseburger; and delicious jalapeño poppers were on seemingly every bar menu.

Throughout the '90s, here's how the price of bacon changed each year. 1990: $2.14, 1991: $2.24, 1992: $1.94, 1993: $1.97, 1994: $2.04, 1995: $2.05, 1996: $2.54, 1997: $2.77, 1998: $2.61, 1999: $2.62.

This was the decade that the country's love of bacon turned into mania. In the 21st century, bacon showed up in everything from vodka to bubblegum. Of course, sweet and salty combinations like chocolate-dipped bacon were particularly popular.

Bacon prices were largely consistent throughout the early 2000s, but here's a breakdown of the small annual changes. 2000: $3.10, 2001: $3.31, 2002: $3.31, 2003: $3.31, 2004: $3.51, 2005: $3.51, 2006: $3.56, 2007: $3.77, 2008: $3.76, 2009: $3.71.

Novelty bacon foods may have become passé, but the public's love for the meat remained just as strong as ever in the 2010s. Denny's added a bacon sundae to the menu, folks were queuing for maple bacon cronuts, and we learned how to upgrade sandwiches with a bacon lattice.

Here is how the price of bacon fluctuated throughout the 2010s. 2010: $4.18, 2011: $4.72, 2012: $4.67, 2013: $5.33, 2014: $5.79, 2015: $5.46, 2016: $5.43, 2017: $5.77, 2018: $5.55, 2019: $5.61.