Born in 1981
What the world looked like the year you arrived: prices, names, music and who was in charge.
Chinese zodiac
Metal Rooster
from Feb 5, 1981. Born earlier? Monkey.
Generation
Millennial
President
Jimmy Carter, then Ronald Reagan
#1 baby names
—
What things cost
Sample dataGallon of gas
$1.31
US average, regular
$4.64 in 2025 dollars
First-class stamp
18¢
US Postal Service
$0.64 in 2025 dollars
Minimum wage
$3.35/hr
federal
New home
$68,500
median price, estimated
$242,576 in 2025 dollars
Movie ticket
$2.86
US average, estimated
$10.14 in 2025 dollars
New car
$8,100
average price, estimated
Computer
$1,565
IBM Personal Computer (1981), launch price
$5,542 in 2025 dollars
Video game system
$199
Atari 2600 (1977), launch price
$1,057 in 2025 dollars
US national figures in then-dollars, at mid-year. Some figures are estimates. Computer, game system and TV prices are launch prices of landmark models, and the game price is an approximate range for that era, so none of them is an average.
Pop culture
Sample dataPop culture for 1981 is still being added.
Famous people born in 1981
Sample dataFamous people born in 1981 are still being added.