According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,840.45% higher in 2026 versus 1916 (a $142,022,536.35 difference in value).
Between 1916 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.12% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $5,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1916 would cost $147,022,536.35 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1916: Pricing changed by 3%, which is below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1916-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1916 (7.67%), inflation in Chicago was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $5,000,000 beginning in 1916. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 | $5,000,000.00 | 3.00% |
| 1917 | $5,698,707.59 | 13.97% |
| 1918 | $6,655,896.61 | 16.80% |
| 1919 | $8,077,544.43 | 21.36% |
| 1920 | $9,620,355.41 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $8,808,562.20 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $8,319,870.76 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $8,420,840.06 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $8,586,429.73 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $8,776,252.02 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $8,929,725.36 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $8,848,949.92 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $8,574,313.41 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $8,554,119.55 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $8,461,227.79 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $7,734,248.79 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $6,825,525.04 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $6,122,778.68 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $6,163,166.40 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,429,725.36 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,558,966.07 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $6,829,563.81 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $6,781,098.55 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,647,819.06 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,684,168.01 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $7,035,541.20 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $7,734,248.79 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $8,166,397.42 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $8,291,599.35 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $8,469,305.33 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $9,224,555.74 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $10,714,862.68 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $11,647,819.06 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $11,635,702.75 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $11,752,827.14 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $12,677,705.98 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $12,952,342.49 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $13,065,428.11 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $13,259,289.18 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $13,348,142.16 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $13,533,925.69 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $13,974,151.86 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $14,398,222.94 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $14,515,347.33 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $14,717,285.95 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $14,789,983.84 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $14,943,457.19 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $15,092,891.76 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $15,153,473.34 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $15,355,411.95 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $15,815,831.99 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $16,227,786.75 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $16,914,378.03 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $17,839,256.87 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $18,861,066.24 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $19,604,200.32 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $20,161,550.89 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $21,425,686.59 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $23,691,437.80 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $25,561,389.34 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $26,785,137.32 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $28,469,305.33 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $30,945,072.70 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $34,806,138.93 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $39,826,332.79 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $43,638,933.76 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $46,615,508.89 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $48,473,344.10 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $50,302,907.92 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $52,201,130.86 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $53,291,599.35 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $55,488,691.44 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $57,657,512.12 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $60,573,505.65 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $63,828,756.06 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $66,417,609.05 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $68,364,297.25 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $70,472,536.35 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $72,015,347.33 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $74,305,331.18 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $76,292,407.11 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $78,380,452.34 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $79,959,612.28 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $81,615,508.89 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $84,236,672.05 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $86,429,725.36 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $87,806,946.69 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $89,422,455.57 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $91,421,647.82 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $94,188,206.79 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $96,118,739.90 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $99,265,387.72 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $103,005,937.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $101,774,676.90 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $103,168,214.86 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $105,985,864.30 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $107,595,193.86 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $108,826,413.57 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $110,727,504.04 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $110,400,161.55 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $111,131,704.36 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $113,220,355.41 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $115,204,967.69 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $116,888,852.99 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $118,193,578.35 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $123,178,877.22 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $132,482,754.44 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $136,889,903.07 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $141,627,625.20 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $146,123,788.37 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $147,022,536.35 | 0.62%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| 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 | 301.502 | 303.356 |