You Won’t Believe These Average Expenses For North Dakotans 20 Years Ago

Looking back 20 years ago, you would be surprised to see what the average expenses were for North Dakotans. I looked at cell phone, gas, and food prices to paint the picture.

via GIPHY

Cell Phones

In 2004 the Motorola Razr was new to the scene, and it's hard to believe how much cheaper they were.

According to Time Toast, the average cost of one of these bad boys was $350. Keep in mind that was top dollar. Now, we can hardly find a device priced under $900.

While I miss those prices for the phones, I don't miss paying by the text message/minute. Unlimited phone plans changed the game.

via GIPHY

Gas Prices

I almost winced in pain after finding out how much cheaper gas was in 2004. We've seen a single gallon priced at nearly $5 in North Dakota. While the current average is only 2.79, it's still hard to believe that 20 years ago it was consistently between $1.61 and $1.92, according to EIA.gov.

Housing

What about the average cost of a home in North Dakota?

According to statista.com, in 2004, the median sales price for an existing single-family home was around $195,200.

According to 247wallst.com the average cost of a home in North Dakota as of August 2021 is $252,788, which is lower than the national average. 

Food

According to A Taste of Home, the average price of a gallon of milk in 2005 was #.20, eggs were $1 per dozen, bread was $.97 per loaf, and a pound of meat was only $3.29. Can you imagine how much more food you would be able to stock your home with if the prices were the same?

via GIPHY

Salary

Of course, we can't look at all of tis without peeking at what the average annual salary was in 2004. 20 years ago, the average salary for a North Dakotan was $58,000, according to HudUser.gov.

Now, according to Statista, the average salary is $78,720.