What was Costco's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2024?

Costco's CAGR from 2024 to September 2026 was 14.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Costco significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Costco compare to the S&P 500 since 2024?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2024 would be worth approximately $1,666.43 today. Costco underperformed the S&P 500 by $222.90.

How much of the Costco gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $443.52 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,376.99. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,337.96, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Costco since 2024?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2024, the real purchasing-power value of the Costco position is approximately $1,391.27 in 2024 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Costco perform in 2024?

Costco rose 41% during 2024, from $640.69 at the start of the year to $901.11 at the start of 2025.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Costco in 2024?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,444

+$443.52 profit1.44x14.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $1,666

Its shares paid about $8.65 in dividends over the last 12 months.

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,377

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$1,443.52

Total Profit

$443.52

Multiplier

1.44x

CAGR

14.3%

Max Drawdown

-17.4%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,391.27

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2024 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Costco	$1,443.52	1.44x
S&P 500	$1,666.43	1.67x
Gold	$2,036.45	2.04x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,055.88	1.06x

Dividends

Over the last 12 months, the 1.56 shares you'd own now paid about $8.65 in dividends. That's 0.9% of the $1,000 put in.

Price growth alone turned $1,000 into $1,421; reinvested dividends added the other $22.09, 5% of the gain.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2024

In July 2024, Costco announced its first membership fee increase in seven years, raising the basic annual fee in the U.S. and Canada by $5 to $65. cnn.com
In 2024, a gallon of gas averaged $3.30 and the new iPhone 16 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2024 itself, Costco rose 41%, #42 of the 114 investments we track. The best was Palantir (+353%); the worst was Intel (−57%). Full 2024 results →

$1,000 in Costco, year by year

Of the 114 investments we track that were available at the start of 2024, Costco ranks #58 by growth to today — just behind Visa and ahead of Super Micro Computer. See the full 2024 ranking →

Costco started 2024 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 48% in 2023. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Today's $1,444 is more than it was worth at any January since. It rose in 1 of the 2 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 and hasn't caught up.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2024	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2025	$1,406	+41%	$1,250
Start of 2026	$1,328	−5.6%	$1,474
Today	$1,444	+8.7%	$1,666

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2024, Costco was priced at $640.69 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 1.56 shares. Costco runs membership warehouse stores.

Measured from one January to the next, Costco's best year since then was 2024 (+41%) and its worst was 2025 (−5.6%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Costco at the start of 2024 would be worth approximately $1,443.52 today — a 1.44x return ($443.52 profit) over 2.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2024 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2024 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.