How much will $1,000 be worth in 5 years?

$1,000 invested for 5 years, with nothing added, would grow to $1,403 at a hypothetical 7% annual return: the original $1,000 plus $403 of investment growth. At 4% the balance would be $1,217 ($217 of growth), and at 10% it would be $1,611 ($611 of growth).

At 4% a year

$1,217

$217 of that is growth

At 7% a year

$1,403

$403 of that is growth

At 10% a year

$1,611

$611 of that is growth

4%, 7% and 10% are example rates, not forecasts. Real returns change from year to year and are never guaranteed, and these figures leave out fees, taxes and inflation.

$1,000 after 5 years at different rates of return

Annual return	Final balance	Amount invested	Interest earned
1%	$1,051	$1,000	$51
2%	$1,104	$1,000	$104
3%	$1,159	$1,000	$159
4%	$1,217	$1,000	$217
5%	$1,276	$1,000	$276
6%	$1,338	$1,000	$338
7%	$1,403	$1,000	$403
8%	$1,469	$1,000	$469
9%	$1,539	$1,000	$539
10%	$1,611	$1,000	$611
11%	$1,685	$1,000	$685
12%	$1,762	$1,000	$762

Assumes a single investment with nothing added or withdrawn, and a constant rate compounded once a year (an effective annual rate). The final balance ranges from $1,051 at 1% to $1,762 at 12%.

Try your own numbers

The calculator starts with this example at 7%. Change the amount, rate or time period, add a monthly contribution, or switch the compounding, and the result updates as you type.

Balance after 5 years

$1,403

28.7% of that is interest. Your balance is 1.40 times what you put in.

Total contributions

$1,000

Interest earned

$403

Growth by year

Contributions
Interest

Year-by-year breakdown

Year	Contributions	Interest	Balance
1	$1,000	$70	$1,070
2	$1,000	$145	$1,145
3	$1,000	$225	$1,225
4	$1,000	$311	$1,311
5	$1,000	$403	$1,403

How quickly $1,000 grows

At 7%, 5 years is not long enough to double $1,000: the balance ends at 1.40 times the original amount. Left alone, it would pass $2,000 during year 11. A different rate moves that point, but not into these 5 years: it would come in year 8 at 10% and in year 18 at 4%.

Growth also speeds up over time. In year 1 the investment earns $70 at 7%. In year 5 it earns $92, because each year's return is calculated on a larger balance.

What if you change the plan?

Each row changes one thing and keeps everything else the same, at the 7% example rate. The comparison is with $1,000 invested for 5 years, which ends at $1,403.

Change	Final balance	Difference
Leave it invested for 5 more years (10 years in total)	$1,967	+$565
Also add $100 a month	$8,522	+$7,120
Treat 7% as a nominal rate compounded monthly	$1,418	+$15
Earn 6% a year instead of 7%	$1,338	−$64

Another 5 years adds $565 without any new money going in, more than the $403 earned in the first 5 years. A return that is one point lower leaves you with $64 less after 5 years, which is roughly what a 1% annual fee would cost.

Working backwards: to have $2,500 in 5 years at 7% without adding anything, you would need to invest about $1,782 today.

When would the balance reach $2,500?

The table shows the year in which the balance first reaches each amount, assuming nothing is added or withdrawn. Years in bold fall within this page's 5-year period.

Balance reaches	At 4%	At 7%	At 10%
$2,500	Year 24	Year 14	Year 10

How this is calculated

For a single investment with nothing added, the rate is applied once a year to the whole balance:

Balance = Principal × (1 + annual rate)^years

With this page's numbers at 7%:

Balance = 1,000 × 1.07⁵ ≈ 1,000 × 1.4026 ≈ $1,403

Growth is the balance minus the original $1,000: $403. Every other row in the rate table uses the same formula with a different annual rate. The compound interest calculator page explains the formulas in more detail, including monthly contributions.

Frequently asked questions

How much interest will $1,000 earn in 5 years?

It depends on the rate of return. At a constant 7% a year with nothing added, $1,000 earns $403 over 5 years, for a balance of $1,403. At 4% the growth is $217, and at 10% it is $611. These rates are examples, not predictions.

How long does it take $1,000 to grow to $2,500?

With a constant 7% annual return and nothing added, $1,000 passes $2,500 during year 14. For comparison, at 10% it takes until year 10, and at 4% it takes until year 24.

How much do I need to invest today to have $2,500 in 5 years?

At a constant 7% annual return, a single investment of about $1,782 would grow to $2,500 in 5 years. At 4% you would need about $2,055, and at 10% about $1,552.

$1,000 over other periods

Other amounts for 5 years

Monthly investing for 5 years

See all compound interest examples in one table, or start from scratch with the compound interest calculator.