According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,902.60% higher in 2025 versus 1915 (a $14,512,997,088,186,356 difference in value).
Between 1915 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.14% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $500,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1915 would cost $15,012,997,088,186,356 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.19% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1915: Pricing changed by 0.17%, which is below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1915-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1915 (0.92%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $500,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1915. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1915 | $500,000,000,000,000.00 | 0.17% |
| 1916 | $514,975,041,597,337.69 | 3.00% |
| 1917 | $586,938,435,940,099.88 | 13.97% |
| 1918 | $685,524,126,455,906.75 | 16.80% |
| 1919 | $831,946,755,407,653.88 | 21.36% |
| 1920 | $990,848,585,690,515.50 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $907,237,936,772,046.50 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $856,905,158,069,883.50 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $867,304,492,512,479.00 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $884,359,400,998,336.00 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $903,910,149,750,415.88 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $919,717,138,103,161.50 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $911,397,670,549,085.00 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $883,111,480,865,224.50 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $881,031,613,976,705.50 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $871,464,226,289,517.50 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $796,589,018,302,828.63 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $702,995,008,319,467.50 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $630,615,640,599,001.50 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $634,775,374,376,039.88 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $662,229,617,304,492.50 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $675,540,765,391,015.00 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $703,410,981,697,171.25 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $698,419,301,164,725.50 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $684,692,179,700,499.13 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $688,435,940,099,833.50 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $724,625,623,960,066.50 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $796,589,018,302,828.63 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $841,098,169,717,137.88 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $853,993,344,425,956.75 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $872,296,173,044,925.13 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $950,083,194,675,541.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,103,577,371,048,253.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,199,667,221,297,836.75 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,198,419,301,164,725.50 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,210,482,529,118,136.25 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,305,740,432,612,312.75 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,334,026,622,296,172.75 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,345,673,876,871,880.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,365,640,599,001,664.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,374,792,013,311,148.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,393,926,788,685,524.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,439,267,886,855,241.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,482,945,091,514,143.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,495,008,319,467,554.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,515,806,988,352,745.25 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,523,294,509,151,414.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,539,101,497,504,159.25 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,554,492,512,479,201.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,560,732,113,144,758.50 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,581,530,782,029,950.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $1,628,951,747,088,186.25 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $1,671,381,031,613,977.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $1,742,096,505,823,627.25 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $1,837,354,409,317,803.25 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $1,942,595,673,876,871.25 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,019,134,775,374,375.25 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,076,539,101,497,504.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $2,206,738,768,718,802.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $2,440,099,833,610,649.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $2,632,695,507,487,520.50 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $2,758,735,440,931,780.50 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $2,932,196,339,434,276.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $3,187,188,019,966,722.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $3,584,858,569,051,581.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $4,101,913,477,537,437.50 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $4,494,592,346,089,850.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $4,801,164,725,457,571.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $4,992,512,479,201,331.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $5,180,948,419,301,165.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $5,376,455,906,821,963.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $5,488,768,718,801,996.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $5,715,058,236,272,878.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $5,938,435,940,099,834.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $6,238,768,718,801,996.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $6,574,043,261,231,281.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $6,840,682,196,339,433.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $7,041,181,364,392,678.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $7,258,319,467,554,076.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $7,417,221,297,836,937.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $7,653,078,202,995,007.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $7,857,737,104,825,290.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $8,072,795,341,098,170.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $8,235,440,931,780,364.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $8,405,990,016,638,934.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $8,675,956,738,768,717.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $8,901,830,282,861,897.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $9,043,677,204,658,900.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $9,210,066,555,740,430.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $9,415,973,377,703,826.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $9,700,915,141,430,948.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $9,899,750,415,973,378.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $10,223,839,434,276,206.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $10,609,097,337,770,382.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $10,482,283,693,843,592.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $10,625,811,148,086,522.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $10,916,014,975,041,596.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $11,081,767,886,855,238.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $11,208,577,371,048,252.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $11,404,380,199,667,220.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $11,370,665,557,404,324.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $11,446,010,815,307,820.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $11,661,131,447,587,356.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $11,865,536,605,657,236.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $12,038,968,386,023,290.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $12,173,348,585,690,514.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $12,686,809,484,193,012.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $13,645,062,396,006,654.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $14,098,976,705,490,846.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $14,586,938,435,940,096.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $15,012,997,088,186,356.00 | 2.92%* |
* 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 Chicago, Illinois:
| 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 | 10.000 | 10.017 | 10.317 | 11.758 | 13.733 | 16.667 | 19.850 | 18.175 | 17.167 | 17.375 | 17.717 | 18.108 | 18.425 | 18.258 | 17.692 | 17.650 | 17.458 | 15.958 | 14.083 | 12.633 | 12.717 | 13.267 | 13.533 | 14.092 | 13.992 | 13.717 | 13.792 | 14.517 | 15.958 | 16.850 | 17.108 | 17.475 | 19.033 | 22.108 | 24.033 | 24.008 | 24.250 | 26.158 | 26.725 | 26.958 | 27.358 | 27.542 | 27.925 | 28.833 | 29.708 | 29.950 | 30.367 | 30.517 | 30.833 | 31.142 | 31.267 | 31.683 | 32.633 | 33.483 | 34.900 | 36.808 | 38.917 | 40.450 | 41.600 | 44.208 | 48.883 | 52.742 | 55.267 | 58.742 | 63.850 | 71.817 | 82.175 | 90.042 | 96.183 | 100.017 | 103.792 | 107.708 | 109.958 | 114.492 | 118.967 | 124.983 | 131.700 | 137.042 | 141.058 | 145.408 | 148.592 | 153.317 | 157.417 | 161.725 | 164.983 | 168.400 | 173.808 | 178.333 | 181.175 | 184.508 | 188.633 | 194.342 | 198.325 | 204.818 | 212.536 | 209.995 | 212.870 | 218.684 | 222.005 | 224.545 | 228.468 | 227.792 | 229.302 | 233.611 | 237.706 | 241.181 | 243.873 | 254.159 | 273.356 | 282.450 | 292.225 | 300.760 |