According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $276,488,569,112.28 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, $17,500,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $293,988,569,112.28 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 $17,500,000,000 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 | $17,500,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $15,932,306,445.07 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $14,520,672,882.04 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $14,740,575,597.89 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $14,839,886,501.82 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $15,003,040,129.71 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $15,556,343,737.33 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $15,393,190,109.44 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $15,095,257,397.65 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $15,024,321,037.70 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $14,917,916,497.77 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $13,761,653,830.56 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $12,406,769,355.49 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $11,583,907,580.06 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $11,945,683,015.81 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $12,193,960,275.64 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $12,264,896,635.59 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $12,541,548,439.40 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $12,222,334,819.62 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $12,037,900,283.75 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $12,151,398,459.67 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $12,690,514,795.30 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $14,045,399,270.37 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $14,783,137,413.86 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $14,946,291,041.75 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $15,251,317,389.54 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $16,499,797,324.69 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $18,783,948,115.12 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $20,330,360,762.06 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $20,082,083,502.23 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $20,344,548,034.05 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $21,706,526,145.12 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $22,181,799,756.79 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $22,238,548,844.75 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $22,323,672,476.69 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $22,430,077,016.62 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $23,047,223,348.20 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $23,855,897,851.64 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $24,622,010,539.12 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $24,813,538,710.99 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $25,281,718,686.66 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $25,664,775,030.40 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $26,218,078,638.02 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $26,750,101,337.66 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $27,111,876,773.41 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $27,622,618,565.06 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $28,473,854,884.48 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $29,218,686,663.96 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $30,367,855,695.18 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $32,049,047,426.02 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $34,006,890,960.68 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $35,815,768,139.44 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $37,092,622,618.57 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $39,156,870,693.15 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $43,200,243,210.38 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $47,094,649,371.71 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $50,925,212,809.08 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $53,521,483,583.30 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $56,380,218,889.34 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $62,055,127,685.45 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $69,929,063,640.05 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $77,873,935,954.60 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $81,207,944,872.31 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $84,797,324,685.85 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $88,968,382,650.99 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $92,912,444,264.29 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $95,451,965,950.55 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $99,523,713,011.76 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $105,368,869,071.75 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $111,511,957,843.53 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $117,967,166,599.11 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $123,315,768,139.44 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $126,323,469,801.38 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $130,083,096,878.80 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $131,728,820,429.67 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $134,892,582,083.50 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $138,836,643,696.80 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $142,837,454,398.05 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $146,057,965,139.85 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $149,590,595,865.42 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $156,003,242,805.03 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $162,912,444,264.29 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $167,069,314,957.44 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $173,254,965,545.20 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $178,220,510,741.79 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $183,867,044,993.92 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $189,740,575,597.89 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $193,312,079,448.72 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $200,400,749,898.66 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $198,771,483,583.30 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $202,032,995,541.14 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $207,385,427,644.91 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $210,735,184,434.54 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $213,666,416,700.45 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $217,171,665,991.08 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $218,548,824,483.18 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $221,561,491,690.31 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $227,212,849,614.92 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $234,541,852,452.37 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $239,251,033,644.10 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $241,826,732,873.94 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $249,304,418,321.85 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $267,269,193,352.25 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $277,263,133,360.36 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $286,135,995,135.79 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $293,988,569,112.28 | 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 |