According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $170,632,945,509.29 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, $10,800,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $181,432,945,509.29 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 $10,800,000,000 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 | $10,800,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $9,832,509,120.39 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $8,961,329,550.06 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $9,097,040,940.41 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $9,158,329,955.41 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $9,259,019,051.48 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $9,600,486,420.75 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $9,499,797,324.69 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $9,315,930,279.69 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $9,272,152,411.84 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $9,206,485,610.05 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $8,492,906,364.00 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $7,656,749,087.96 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $7,148,925,820.84 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $7,372,192,946.90 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $7,525,415,484.39 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $7,569,193,352.25 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $7,739,927,036.89 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $7,542,926,631.54 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $7,429,104,175.11 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $7,499,148,763.68 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $7,831,860,559.38 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $8,668,017,835.43 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $9,123,307,661.13 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $9,223,996,757.19 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $9,412,241,588.97 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $10,182,732,063.23 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $11,592,379,408.19 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $12,546,736,927.44 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $12,393,514,389.95 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $12,555,492,501.01 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $13,396,027,563.84 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $13,689,339,278.48 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $13,724,361,572.76 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $13,776,895,014.19 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $13,842,561,815.97 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $14,223,429,266.32 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $14,722,496,959.87 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $15,195,297,932.71 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $15,313,498,175.92 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $15,602,432,103.77 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $15,838,832,590.19 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $16,180,299,959.46 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $16,508,633,968.38 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $16,731,901,094.45 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $17,047,101,743.01 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $17,572,436,157.28 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $18,032,103,769.76 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $18,741,305,229.02 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $19,778,840,697.20 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $20,987,109,850.02 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $22,103,445,480.34 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $22,891,447,101.74 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $24,165,383,056.34 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $26,660,721,524.12 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $29,064,126,469.40 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $31,428,131,333.60 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $33,030,401,297.12 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $34,794,649,371.71 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $38,296,878,800.16 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $43,156,222,132.14 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $48,059,343,331.98 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $50,116,903,121.20 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $52,332,063,234.70 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $54,906,201,864.61 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $57,340,251,317.39 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $58,907,498,986.62 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $61,420,348,601.54 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $65,027,644,912.85 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $68,818,808,269.15 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $72,802,594,244.02 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $76,103,445,480.34 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $77,959,627,077.42 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $80,279,854,073.77 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $81,295,500,608.03 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $83,247,993,514.39 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $85,682,042,967.17 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $88,151,114,714.23 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $90,138,629,914.88 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $92,318,767,734.09 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $96,276,286,988.24 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $100,540,251,317.39 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $103,105,634,373.73 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $106,923,064,450.75 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $109,987,515,200.65 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $113,472,233,481.96 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $117,097,040,940.41 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $119,301,169,031.21 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $123,675,891,366.03 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $122,670,401,297.12 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $124,683,220,105.39 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $127,986,435,346.57 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $130,053,713,822.46 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $131,862,702,877.99 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $134,025,942,440.21 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $134,875,845,966.76 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $136,735,092,014.59 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $140,222,787,190.92 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $144,745,828,942.03 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $147,652,066,477.50 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $149,241,640,859.34 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $153,856,441,021.48 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $164,943,273,611.67 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $171,110,962,302.39 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $176,586,785,569.52 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $181,432,945,509.29 | 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 |