According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,467.02% higher in 2026 versus 1917 (a $246,702,197.02 difference in value).
Between 1917 and 2026: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.02% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $10,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1917 would cost $256,702,197.02 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.01% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was higher.
In the year 1917: Pricing changed by 13.97%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1917-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1917 (17.84%), inflation in Chicago was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $10,000,000 beginning in 1917. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | $10,000,000.00 | 13.97% |
| 1918 | $11,679,659.82 | 16.80% |
| 1919 | $14,174,344.44 | 21.36% |
| 1920 | $16,881,644.22 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $15,457,122.61 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $14,599,574.77 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $14,776,754.08 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $15,067,328.14 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $15,400,425.23 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $15,669,737.77 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $15,527,994.33 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $15,046,066.62 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $15,010,630.76 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $14,847,625.80 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $13,571,934.80 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $11,977,321.05 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $10,744,153.08 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $10,815,024.81 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $11,282,778.17 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $11,509,567.68 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $11,984,408.22 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $11,899,362.15 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $11,665,485.47 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $11,729,270.02 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $12,345,854.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $13,571,934.80 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $14,330,262.23 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $14,549,964.56 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $14,861,800.14 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $16,187,101.35 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $18,802,267.90 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $20,439,404.68 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $20,418,143.16 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $20,623,671.16 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $22,246,633.59 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $22,728,561.30 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $22,927,002.13 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $23,267,186.39 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $23,423,104.18 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $23,749,114.10 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $24,521,615.88 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $25,265,768.96 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $25,471,296.95 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $25,825,655.56 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $25,953,224.66 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $26,222,537.21 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $26,484,762.58 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $26,591,070.16 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $26,945,428.77 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $27,753,366.41 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $28,476,257.97 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $29,681,077.25 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $31,304,039.69 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $33,097,094.26 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $34,401,133.95 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $35,379,163.71 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $37,597,448.62 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $41,573,352.23 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $44,854,712.97 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $47,002,126.15 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $49,957,476.97 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $54,301,913.54 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $61,077,250.18 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $69,886,605.24 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $76,576,895.82 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $81,800,141.74 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $85,060,240.96 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $88,270,729.98 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $91,601,700.92 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $93,515,237.42 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $97,370,659.11 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $101,176,470.59 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $106,293,408.93 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $112,005,669.74 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $116,548,547.13 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $119,964,564.14 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $123,664,068.04 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $126,371,367.82 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $130,389,794.47 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $133,876,683.20 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $137,540,751.24 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $140,311,835.58 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $143,217,576.19 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $147,817,150.96 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $151,665,485.47 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $154,082,211.20 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $156,917,080.09 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $160,425,230.33 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $165,279,943.30 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $168,667,611.62 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $174,189,298.37 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $180,753,153.79 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $178,592,558.47 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $181,037,916.37 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $185,982,282.07 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $188,806,307.58 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $190,966,832.03 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $194,302,834.87 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $193,728,419.56 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $195,012,119.06 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $198,677,250.18 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $202,159,815.73 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $205,114,670.45 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $207,404,181.43 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $216,152,303.33 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $232,478,596.74 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $240,212,189.94 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $248,525,868.18 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $256,442,188.00 | 3.19% |
| 2026 | $256,702,197.02 | 0.10%* |
* 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 | 301.533 | 301.839 |