According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,186.59% higher in 2026 versus 1956 (a $5,932,927,054,478.30 difference in value).
Between 1956 and 2026:Boston experienced an average inflation rate of 3.72% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $500,000,000,000 in Boston in the year 1956 would cost $6,432,927,054,478.30 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation in Boston was higher.
In the year 1956: Pricing changed by 2.75%, which is below the average yearly change in Boston during the 1956-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1956 (1.53%), inflation in Boston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Boston, over time, for $500,000,000,000 beginning in 1956. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | $500,000,000,000.00 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $517,543,859,649.12 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $534,164,358,264.08 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $538,319,482,917.82 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $548,476,454,293.63 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $556,786,703,601.11 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $568,790,397,045.24 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $580,332,409,972.30 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $588,180,978,762.70 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $599,261,311,172.67 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $617,728,531,855.96 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $633,887,349,953.83 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $658,818,097,876.27 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $695,290,858,725.76 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $737,765,466,297.32 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $777,008,310,249.31 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $804,709,141,274.24 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $849,492,151,431.21 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $937,211,449,676.82 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $1,021,698,984,302.86 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $1,104,801,477,377.65 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $1,161,126,500,461.68 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $1,223,145,583,256.39 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $1,346,260,387,811.63 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $1,517,082,179,132.04 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $1,689,442,905,509.39 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $1,761,772,853,185.60 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $1,839,642,967,066.79 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $1,930,132,348,414.90 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $2,015,697,137,580.79 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $2,070,791,012,619.27 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $2,159,125,884,887.66 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $2,285,934,133,579.56 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $2,419,205,909,510.62 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $2,559,248,999,692.21 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $2,675,284,702,985.53 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $2,740,535,549,399.82 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $2,822,099,107,417.67 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $2,857,802,400,738.69 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $2,926,438,904,278.24 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $3,012,003,693,444.14 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $3,098,799,630,655.59 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $3,168,667,282,240.69 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $3,245,306,248,076.33 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $3,384,425,977,223.76 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $3,534,318,251,769.78 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $3,624,499,846,106.49 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $3,758,694,983,071.72 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $3,866,420,437,057.56 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $3,988,919,667,590.03 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $4,116,343,490,304.71 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $4,193,825,792,551.56 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $4,347,611,572,791.63 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $4,312,265,312,403.82 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $4,383,022,468,451.83 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $4,499,141,274,238.23 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $4,571,812,865,497.08 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $4,635,404,739,919.98 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $4,711,449,676,823.64 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $4,741,326,562,019.08 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $4,806,685,133,887.35 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $4,929,289,012,003.69 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $5,088,288,704,216.68 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $5,190,452,446,906.74 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $5,246,331,178,824.25 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $5,408,556,478,916.59 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $5,798,294,859,956.91 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $6,015,109,264,389.04 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $6,207,602,339,181.29 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $6,400,043,090,181.59 | 3.10% |
| 2026 | $6,432,927,054,478.30 | 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 |