According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $236,990,202,096.24 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, $15,000,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $251,990,202,096.24 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 $15,000,000,000 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 | $15,000,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $13,656,262,667.21 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $12,446,291,041.75 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $12,634,779,083.91 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $12,719,902,715.85 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $12,859,748,682.61 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $13,334,008,917.71 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $13,194,162,950.95 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $12,938,792,055.13 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $12,877,989,460.88 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $12,786,785,569.52 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $11,795,703,283.34 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $10,634,373,733.28 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $9,929,063,640.05 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $10,239,156,870.69 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $10,451,965,950.55 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $10,512,768,544.79 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $10,749,898,662.34 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $10,476,286,988.24 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $10,318,200,243.21 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $10,415,484,394.00 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $10,877,584,110.26 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $12,038,913,660.32 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $12,671,260,640.45 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $12,811,106,607.22 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $13,072,557,762.46 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $14,142,683,421.16 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $16,100,526,955.82 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $17,426,023,510.34 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $17,213,214,430.48 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $17,438,184,029.19 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $18,605,593,838.67 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $19,012,971,220.11 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $19,061,613,295.50 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $19,134,576,408.59 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $19,225,780,299.96 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $19,754,762,869.88 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $20,447,912,444.26 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $21,104,580,462.10 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $21,268,747,466.56 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $21,670,044,588.57 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $21,998,378,597.49 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $22,472,638,832.59 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $22,928,658,289.42 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $23,238,751,520.06 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $23,676,530,198.62 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $24,406,161,329.55 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $25,044,588,569.11 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $26,029,590,595.87 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $27,470,612,079.45 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $29,148,763,680.58 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $30,699,229,833.81 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $31,793,676,530.20 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $33,563,032,022.70 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $37,028,779,894.61 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $40,366,842,318.61 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $43,650,182,407.78 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $45,875,557,357.11 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $48,325,901,905.15 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $53,190,109,444.67 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $59,939,197,405.76 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $66,749,087,961.09 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $69,606,809,890.56 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $72,683,421,159.30 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $76,258,613,700.85 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $79,639,237,940.82 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $81,815,970,814.75 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $85,306,039,724.36 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $90,316,173,490.07 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $95,581,678,151.60 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $101,114,714,227.81 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $105,699,229,833.81 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $108,277,259,829.75 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $111,499,797,324.69 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $112,910,417,511.15 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $115,622,213,214.43 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $119,002,837,454.40 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $122,432,103,769.76 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $125,192,541,548.44 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $128,220,510,741.79 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $133,717,065,261.45 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $139,639,237,940.82 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $143,202,269,963.52 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $148,504,256,181.60 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $152,760,437,778.68 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $157,600,324,280.50 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $162,634,779,083.91 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $165,696,068,098.91 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $171,772,071,341.71 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $170,375,557,357.11 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $173,171,139,035.27 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $177,758,937,981.35 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $180,630,158,086.75 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $183,142,642,886.10 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $186,147,142,278.07 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $187,327,563,842.72 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $189,909,850,020.27 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $194,753,871,098.50 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $201,035,873,530.60 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $205,072,314,552.09 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $207,280,056,749.09 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $213,689,501,418.73 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $229,087,880,016.21 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $237,654,114,308.88 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $245,259,424,402.11 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $251,990,202,096.24 | 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 |