According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $418,682,690,370.03 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, $26,500,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $445,182,690,370.03 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 $26,500,000,000 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 | $26,500,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $24,126,064,045.40 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $21,988,447,507.09 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $22,321,443,048.24 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $22,471,828,131.33 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $22,718,889,339.28 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $23,556,749,087.96 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $23,309,687,880.02 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $22,858,532,630.73 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $22,751,114,714.23 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $22,589,987,839.48 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $20,839,075,800.57 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $18,787,393,595.46 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $17,541,345,764.09 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $18,089,177,138.22 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $18,465,139,845.97 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $18,572,557,762.46 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $18,991,487,636.81 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $18,508,107,012.57 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $18,228,820,429.67 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $18,400,689,096.07 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $19,217,065,261.45 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $21,268,747,466.56 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $22,385,893,798.14 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $22,632,955,006.08 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $23,094,852,047.02 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $24,985,407,377.38 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $28,444,264,288.61 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $30,785,974,868.26 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $30,410,012,160.52 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $30,807,458,451.56 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $32,869,882,448.32 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $33,589,582,488.85 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $33,675,516,822.05 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $33,804,418,321.85 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $33,965,545,196.60 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $34,900,081,070.13 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $36,124,645,318.20 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $37,284,758,816.38 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $37,574,787,190.92 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $38,283,745,439.81 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $38,863,802,188.89 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $39,701,661,937.58 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $40,507,296,311.31 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $41,055,127,685.45 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $41,828,536,684.23 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $43,117,551,682.21 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $44,245,439,805.43 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $45,985,610,052.70 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $48,531,414,673.69 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $51,496,149,169.03 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $54,235,306,039.72 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $56,168,828,536.68 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $59,294,689,906.77 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $65,417,511,147.14 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $71,314,754,762.87 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $77,115,322,253.75 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $81,046,817,997.57 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $85,375,760,032.43 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $93,969,193,352.25 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $105,892,582,083.50 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $117,923,388,731.25 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $122,972,030,806.65 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $128,407,377,381.43 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $134,723,550,871.50 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $140,695,987,028.78 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $144,541,548,439.40 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $150,707,336,846.37 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $159,558,573,165.79 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $168,860,964,734.50 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $178,635,995,135.79 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $186,735,306,039.72 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $191,289,825,699.23 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $196,982,975,273.61 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $199,475,070,936.36 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $204,265,910,012.16 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $210,238,346,169.44 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $216,296,716,659.91 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $221,173,490,068.91 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $226,522,902,310.50 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $236,233,481,961.90 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $246,695,987,028.78 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $252,990,676,935.55 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $262,357,519,254.15 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $269,876,773,409.00 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $278,427,239,562.22 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $287,321,443,048.24 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $292,729,720,308.07 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $303,463,992,703.69 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $300,996,817,997.57 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $305,935,678,962.30 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $314,040,790,433.73 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $319,113,279,286.58 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $323,552,002,432.10 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $328,859,951,357.92 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $330,945,362,788.81 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $335,507,401,702.47 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $344,065,172,274.02 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $355,163,376,570.73 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $362,294,422,375.35 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $366,194,766,923.39 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $377,518,119,173.08 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $404,721,921,361.98 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $419,855,601,945.68 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $433,291,649,777.06 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $445,182,690,370.03 | 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 |