According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $86,217,035,522.61 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, $5,457,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $91,674,035,522.61 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 $5,457,000,000 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 | $5,457,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $4,968,148,358.33 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $4,527,960,680.99 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $4,596,532,630.73 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $4,627,500,608.03 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $4,678,376,570.73 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $4,850,912,444.26 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $4,800,036,481.56 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $4,707,132,549.66 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $4,685,012,565.87 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $4,651,832,590.19 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $4,291,276,854.48 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $3,868,785,164.17 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $3,612,193,352.25 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $3,725,005,269.56 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $3,802,425,212.81 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $3,824,545,196.60 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $3,910,813,133.36 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $3,811,273,206.32 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $3,753,761,248.48 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $3,789,153,222.54 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $3,957,265,099.31 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $4,379,756,789.62 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $4,609,804,621.00 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $4,660,680,583.70 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $4,755,796,513.98 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $5,145,108,228.62 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $5,857,371,706.53 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $6,339,587,353.06 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $6,262,167,409.81 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $6,344,011,349.82 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $6,768,715,038.51 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $6,916,918,929.87 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $6,934,614,916.90 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $6,961,158,897.45 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $6,994,338,873.13 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $7,186,782,732.06 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $7,438,950,547.22 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $7,677,846,372.11 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $7,737,570,328.33 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $7,883,562,221.32 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $8,003,010,133.77 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $8,175,546,007.30 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $8,341,445,885.69 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $8,454,257,803.00 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $8,613,521,686.26 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $8,878,961,491.69 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $9,111,221,321.44 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $9,469,565,058.78 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $9,993,808,674.50 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $10,604,320,227.00 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $11,168,379,813.54 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $11,566,539,521.69 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $12,210,231,049.86 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $13,471,070,125.66 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $14,685,457,235.51 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $15,879,936,359.95 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $16,689,527,766.52 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $17,580,963,113.09 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $19,350,561,815.97 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $21,805,880,016.21 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $24,283,318,200.24 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $25,322,957,438.18 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $26,442,228,617.75 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $27,742,883,664.37 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $28,972,754,762.87 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $29,764,650,182.41 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $31,034,337,251.72 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $32,857,023,915.69 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $34,772,614,511.55 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $36,785,533,036.08 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $38,453,379,813.54 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $39,391,267,126.06 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $40,563,626,266.72 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $41,076,809,890.56 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $42,063,361,167.41 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $43,293,232,265.91 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $44,540,799,351.44 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $45,545,046,615.32 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $46,646,621,807.86 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $48,646,268,342.12 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $50,800,754,762.87 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $52,096,985,812.73 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $54,025,848,398.87 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $55,574,247,263.88 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $57,334,997,973.25 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $59,166,532,630.73 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $60,280,229,574.38 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $62,490,679,554.11 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $61,982,627,766.52 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $62,999,660,381.03 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $64,668,701,637.62 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $65,713,251,511.96 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $66,627,293,481.96 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $67,720,330,360.76 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $68,149,767,725.98 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $69,089,203,437.37 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $70,851,458,305.63 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $73,136,850,790.43 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $74,605,308,034.05 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $75,408,484,645.32 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $77,740,240,616.13 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $83,342,170,749.90 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $86,458,566,785.57 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $89,225,378,597.49 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $91,674,035,522.61 | 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 |