According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $16,115,333,742.54 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2025: Boston experienced an average inflation rate of 2.72% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $1,020,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $17,135,333,742.54 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.68% during this same period, inflation in Boston was higher.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 17.25%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Boston during the 1920-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.62%), inflation in Boston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Boston, over time, for $1,020,000,000 beginning in 1920. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $1,020,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $928,625,861.37 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $846,347,790.84 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $859,164,977.71 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $864,953,384.68 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $874,462,910.42 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $906,712,606.40 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $897,203,080.66 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $879,837,859.75 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $875,703,283.34 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $869,501,418.73 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $802,107,823.27 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $723,137,413.86 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $675,176,327.52 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $696,262,667.21 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $710,733,684.64 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $714,868,261.05 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $730,993,109.04 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $712,387,515.20 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $701,637,616.54 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $708,252,938.79 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $739,675,719.50 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $818,646,128.90 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $861,645,723.55 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $871,155,249.29 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $888,933,927.85 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $961,702,472.64 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $1,094,835,833.00 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $1,184,969,598.70 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $1,170,498,581.27 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $1,185,796,513.98 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $1,265,180,381.03 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $1,292,882,042.97 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $1,296,189,704.09 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $1,301,151,195.78 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $1,307,353,060.40 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $1,343,323,875.15 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $1,390,458,046.21 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $1,435,111,471.42 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $1,446,274,827.73 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,473,563,032.02 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $1,495,889,744.63 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $1,528,139,440.62 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $1,559,148,763.68 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $1,580,235,103.36 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $1,610,004,053.51 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $1,659,618,970.41 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $1,703,032,022.70 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $1,770,012,160.52 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $1,868,001,621.40 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $1,982,115,930.28 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $2,087,547,628.70 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $2,161,970,004.05 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $2,282,286,177.54 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $2,517,957,032.83 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $2,744,945,277.67 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $2,968,212,403.73 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $3,119,537,900.28 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $3,286,161,329.55 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $3,616,927,442.24 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $4,075,865,423.59 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $4,538,937,981.35 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $4,733,263,072.56 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $4,942,472,638.83 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $5,185,585,731.66 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $5,415,468,179.98 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $5,563,486,015.40 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $5,800,810,701.26 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $6,141,499,797.32 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $6,499,554,114.31 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $6,875,800,567.49 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $7,187,547,628.70 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $7,362,853,668.42 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $7,581,986,218.08 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $7,677,908,390.76 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $7,862,310,498.58 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $8,092,192,946.90 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $8,325,383,056.34 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $8,513,092,825.29 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $8,718,994,730.44 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $9,092,760,437.78 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $9,495,468,179.98 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $9,737,754,357.52 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $10,098,289,420.35 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $10,387,709,768.95 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $10,716,822,051.07 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $11,059,164,977.71 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $11,267,332,630.73 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $11,680,500,851.24 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $11,585,537,900.28 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $11,775,637,454.40 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $12,087,607,782.73 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $12,282,850,749.90 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $12,453,699,716.25 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $12,658,005,674.91 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $12,738,274,341.31 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $12,913,869,801.38 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $13,243,263,234.70 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $13,670,439,400.08 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $13,944,917,389.54 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $14,095,043,858.94 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $14,530,886,096.47 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $15,577,975,841.10 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $16,160,479,773.00 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $16,677,640,859.34 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $17,135,333,742.54 | 2.74%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Boston, Massachusetts:
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| CPI | 10.500 | 10.517 | 10.817 | 12.275 | 14.458 | 17.533 | 20.558 | 18.717 | 17.058 | 17.317 | 17.433 | 17.625 | 18.275 | 18.083 | 17.733 | 17.650 | 17.525 | 16.167 | 14.575 | 13.608 | 14.033 | 14.325 | 14.408 | 14.733 | 14.358 | 14.142 | 14.275 | 14.908 | 16.500 | 17.367 | 17.558 | 17.917 | 19.383 | 22.067 | 23.883 | 23.592 | 23.900 | 25.500 | 26.058 | 26.125 | 26.225 | 26.350 | 27.075 | 28.025 | 28.925 | 29.150 | 29.700 | 30.150 | 30.800 | 31.425 | 31.850 | 32.450 | 33.450 | 34.325 | 35.675 | 37.650 | 39.950 | 42.075 | 43.575 | 46.000 | 50.750 | 55.325 | 59.825 | 62.875 | 66.233 | 72.900 | 82.150 | 91.483 | 95.400 | 99.617 | 104.517 | 109.150 | 112.133 | 116.917 | 123.783 | 131.000 | 138.583 | 144.867 | 148.400 | 152.817 | 154.750 | 158.467 | 163.100 | 167.800 | 171.583 | 175.733 | 183.267 | 191.383 | 196.267 | 203.533 | 209.367 | 216.000 | 222.900 | 227.096 | 235.423 | 233.509 | 237.341 | 243.629 | 247.564 | 251.007 | 255.125 | 256.743 | 260.282 | 266.921 | 275.531 | 281.063 | 284.089 | 292.873 | 313.978 | 325.718 | 336.142 | 345.367 |