According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,579.93% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $8,689,640,743.53 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, $550,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $9,239,640,743.53 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 $550,000,000 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 | $550,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $500,729,631.13 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $456,364,004.86 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $463,275,233.08 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $466,396,432.91 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $471,524,118.36 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $488,913,660.32 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $483,785,974.87 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $474,422,375.35 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $472,192,946.90 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $468,848,804.22 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $432,509,120.39 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $389,927,036.89 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $364,065,666.80 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $375,435,751.93 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $383,238,751.52 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $385,468,179.98 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $394,162,950.95 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $384,130,522.90 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $378,334,008.92 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $381,901,094.45 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $398,844,750.71 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $441,426,834.21 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $464,612,890.15 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $469,740,575.60 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $479,327,117.96 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $518,565,058.78 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $590,352,655.05 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $638,954,195.38 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $631,151,195.78 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $639,400,081.07 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $682,205,107.42 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $697,142,278.07 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $698,925,820.84 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $701,601,134.98 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $704,945,277.67 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $724,341,305.23 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $749,756,789.62 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $773,834,616.94 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $779,854,073.77 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $794,568,301.58 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $806,607,215.24 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $823,996,757.19 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $840,717,470.61 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $852,087,555.74 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $868,139,440.62 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $894,892,582.08 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $918,301,580.87 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $954,418,321.85 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $1,007,255,776.25 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $1,068,788,001.62 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $1,125,638,427.24 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $1,165,768,139.44 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $1,230,644,507.50 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $1,357,721,929.47 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $1,480,117,551.68 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $1,600,506,688.29 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $1,682,103,769.76 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $1,771,949,736.52 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $1,950,304,012.97 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $2,197,770,571.54 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $2,447,466,558.57 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $2,552,249,695.99 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $2,665,058,775.84 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $2,796,149,169.03 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $2,920,105,391.16 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $2,999,918,929.87 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $3,127,888,123.23 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $3,311,593,027.97 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $3,504,661,532.23 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $3,707,539,521.69 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $3,875,638,427.24 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $3,970,166,193.76 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $4,088,325,901.91 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $4,140,048,642.08 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $4,239,481,151.20 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $4,363,437,373.33 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $4,489,177,138.22 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $4,590,393,190.11 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $4,701,418,727.20 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $4,902,959,059.59 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $5,120,105,391.16 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $5,250,749,898.66 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $5,445,156,059.99 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $5,601,216,051.88 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $5,778,678,556.95 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $5,963,275,233.08 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $6,075,522,496.96 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $6,298,309,282.53 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $6,247,103,769.76 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $6,349,608,431.29 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $6,517,827,725.98 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $6,623,105,796.51 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $6,715,230,239.16 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $6,825,395,216.86 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $6,868,677,340.90 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $6,963,361,167.41 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $7,140,975,273.61 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $7,371,315,362.79 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $7,519,318,200.24 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $7,600,268,747.47 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $7,835,281,718.69 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $8,399,888,933.93 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $8,713,984,191.33 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $8,992,845,561.41 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $9,239,640,743.53 | 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 |