According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,594.41% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $125,958,599,108.23 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Boston experienced an average inflation rate of 2.71% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $7,900,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $133,858,599,108.23 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% 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 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation in Boston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Boston, over time, for $7,900,000,000 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 | $7,900,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $7,192,298,338.06 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $6,555,046,615.32 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $6,654,316,984.19 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $6,699,148,763.68 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $6,772,800,972.84 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $7,022,578,030.00 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $6,948,925,820.84 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $6,814,430,482.37 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $6,782,407,782.73 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $6,734,373,733.28 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $6,212,403,729.23 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $5,600,770,166.19 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $5,229,306,850.43 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $5,392,622,618.57 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $5,504,702,067.29 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $5,536,724,766.92 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $5,661,613,295.50 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $5,517,511,147.14 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $5,434,252,128.09 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $5,485,488,447.51 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $5,728,860,964.73 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $6,340,494,527.77 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $6,673,530,603.97 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $6,747,182,813.13 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $6,884,880,421.56 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $7,448,479,935.14 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $8,479,610,863.40 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $9,177,705,715.44 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $9,065,626,266.72 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $9,184,110,255.37 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $9,798,946,088.37 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $10,013,498,175.92 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $10,039,116,335.63 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $10,077,543,575.19 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $10,125,577,624.65 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $10,404,175,111.47 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $10,769,233,887.31 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $11,115,079,043.37 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $11,201,540,332.39 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $11,412,890,149.98 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $11,585,812,728.01 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $11,835,589,785.16 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $12,075,760,032.43 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $12,239,075,800.57 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $12,469,639,237.94 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $12,853,911,633.56 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $13,190,149,979.73 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $13,708,917,713.82 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $14,467,855,695.18 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $15,351,682,205.11 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $16,168,261,045.80 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $16,744,669,639.24 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $17,676,530,198.62 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $19,501,824,077.83 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $21,259,870,287.80 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $22,989,096,068.10 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $24,161,126,874.75 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $25,451,641,670.04 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $28,013,457,640.86 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $31,567,977,300.36 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $35,154,519,659.51 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $36,659,586,542.36 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $38,279,935,143.90 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $40,162,869,882.45 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $41,943,331,982.16 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $43,089,744,629.10 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $44,927,847,588.16 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $47,566,518,038.10 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $50,339,683,826.51 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $53,253,749,493.31 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $55,668,261,045.80 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $57,026,023,510.34 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $58,723,226,591.00 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $59,466,153,222.54 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $60,894,365,626.27 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $62,674,827,725.98 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $64,480,907,985.41 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $65,934,738,548.84 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $67,529,468,990.68 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $70,424,321,037.70 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $73,543,331,982.16 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $75,419,862,180.79 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $78,212,241,588.97 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $80,453,830,563.44 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $83,002,837,454.40 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $85,654,316,984.19 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $87,266,595,865.42 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $90,466,624,239.97 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $89,731,126,874.75 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $91,203,466,558.57 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $93,619,707,336.85 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $95,131,883,259.02 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $96,455,125,253.34 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $98,037,494,933.12 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $98,659,183,623.83 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $100,019,187,677.34 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $102,570,372,111.88 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $105,878,893,392.78 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $108,004,752,330.77 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $109,167,496,554.52 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $112,543,137,413.86 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $120,652,950,141.87 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $125,164,500,202.68 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $129,169,963,518.44 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $133,174,338,062.42 | 3.10% |
| 2026 | $133,858,599,108.23 | 0.51%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| 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 | 346.562 | 348.343 |