According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $185,926,713,217.90 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, $11,768,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $197,694,713,217.90 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 $11,768,000,000 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 | $11,768,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $10,713,793,271.18 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $9,764,530,198.62 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $9,912,405,350.63 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $9,979,187,677.34 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $10,088,901,499.80 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $10,460,974,462.91 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $10,351,260,640.45 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $10,150,913,660.32 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $10,103,211,998.38 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $10,031,659,505.47 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $9,254,122,415.89 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $8,343,020,672.88 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $7,789,681,394.41 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $8,032,959,870.29 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $8,199,915,687.07 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $8,247,617,349.01 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $8,433,653,830.56 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $8,218,996,351.84 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $8,094,972,030.81 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $8,171,294,689.91 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $8,533,827,320.63 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $9,444,929,063.64 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $9,941,026,347.79 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $10,050,740,170.25 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $10,255,857,316.58 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $11,095,406,566.68 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $12,631,400,081.07 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $13,671,296,311.31 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $13,504,340,494.53 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $13,680,836,643.70 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $14,596,708,552.90 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $14,916,309,687.88 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $14,954,471,017.43 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $15,011,713,011.76 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $15,083,265,504.66 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $15,498,269,963.52 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $16,042,068,909.61 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $16,557,246,858.53 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $16,686,041,345.76 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $17,000,872,314.55 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $17,258,461,289.02 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $17,630,534,252.13 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $17,988,296,716.66 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $18,231,575,192.54 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $18,575,027,158.49 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $19,147,447,101.74 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $19,648,314,552.09 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $20,421,081,475.48 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $21,551,610,863.40 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $22,868,176,732.87 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $24,084,569,112.28 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $24,943,199,027.16 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $26,331,317,389.54 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $29,050,312,119.98 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $31,669,133,360.36 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $34,245,023,104.99 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $35,990,903,931.90 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $37,913,280,907.99 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $41,729,413,862.99 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $47,024,298,338.06 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $52,366,884,475.07 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $54,608,862,586.14 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $57,022,566,680.18 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $59,827,424,402.11 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $62,479,636,805.84 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $64,187,356,303.20 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $66,925,431,698.42 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $70,856,048,642.08 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $74,987,012,565.87 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $79,327,863,802.19 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $82,924,569,112.28 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $84,947,119,578.44 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $87,475,307,661.13 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $88,581,986,218.08 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $90,709,480,340.49 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $93,361,692,744.22 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $96,052,066,477.50 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $98,217,721,929.47 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $100,593,264,693.96 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $104,905,494,933.12 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $109,551,636,805.84 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $112,346,954,195.38 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $116,506,539,116.34 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $119,845,655,451.97 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $123,642,707,742.20 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $127,592,405,350.63 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $129,994,088,625.86 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $134,760,915,703.28 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $133,665,303,931.90 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $135,858,530,944.47 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $139,457,812,144.30 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $141,710,380,024.32 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $143,681,508,098.91 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $146,038,638,021.89 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $146,964,718,086.75 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $148,990,607,669.23 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $152,790,903,672.48 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $157,719,343,980.54 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $160,886,066,509.93 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $162,618,113,854.88 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $167,646,536,846.37 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $179,727,078,135.39 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $186,447,574,479.12 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $192,414,193,757.60 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $197,694,713,217.90 | 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 |