According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $141,516,561,712,846,372,864 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 2.62% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $151,516,561,712,846,372,864 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.68% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 19.10%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1920-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.62%), inflation in Chicago was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 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 | $10,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $9,156,171,284,634,760,192.00 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $8,648,194,794,290,514,944.00 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $8,753,148,614,609,572,864.00 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $8,925,272,879,932,829,696.00 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $9,122,586,062,132,661,248.00 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $9,282,115,869,017,632,768.00 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $9,198,152,812,762,386,432.00 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $8,912,678,421,494,542,336.00 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $8,891,687,657,430,732,800.00 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $8,795,130,142,737,195,008.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $8,039,462,636,439,967,744.00 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $7,094,878,253,568,431,104.00 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $6,364,399,664,147,774,464.00 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $6,406,381,192,275,399,680.00 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,683,459,277,917,717,504.00 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,817,800,167,926,113,280.00 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $7,099,076,406,381,193,216.00 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $7,048,698,572,628,045,824.00 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,910,159,529,806,885,888.00 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,947,942,905,121,746,944.00 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $7,313,182,199,832,074,240.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $8,039,462,636,439,967,744.00 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $8,488,664,987,405,540,352.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $8,618,807,724,601,177,088.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $8,803,526,448,362,721,280.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $9,588,581,024,349,288,448.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $11,137,699,412,258,607,104.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $12,107,472,712,006,717,440.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $12,094,878,253,568,434,176.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $12,216,624,685,138,540,544.00 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $13,178,001,679,261,124,608.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $13,463,476,070,528,966,656.00 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $13,581,024,349,286,313,984.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $13,782,535,684,298,909,696.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $13,874,895,046,179,684,352.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $14,068,010,075,566,751,744.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $14,525,608,732,157,851,648.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $14,966,414,777,497,903,104.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $15,088,161,209,068,011,520.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $15,298,068,849,706,129,408.00 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $15,373,635,600,335,857,664.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $15,533,165,407,220,824,064.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $15,688,497,061,293,033,472.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $15,751,469,353,484,468,224.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $15,961,376,994,122,586,112.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $16,439,966,414,777,499,648.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $16,868,178,001,679,261,696.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $17,581,863,979,848,867,840.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $18,543,240,973,971,447,808.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $19,605,373,635,600,334,848.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $20,377,833,753,148,612,608.00 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $20,957,178,841,309,827,072.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $22,271,200,671,704,453,120.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $24,626,364,399,664,152,576.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $26,570,109,151,973,134,336.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $27,842,149,454,240,137,216.00 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $29,592,779,177,162,047,488.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $32,166,246,851,385,393,152.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $36,179,680,940,386,230,272.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $41,397,984,886,649,872,384.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $45,361,041,141,897,568,256.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $48,455,079,764,903,444,480.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $50,386,230,058,774,134,784.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $52,287,993,282,955,509,760.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $54,261,125,104,953,827,328.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $55,394,626,364,399,656,960.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $57,678,421,494,542,409,728.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $59,932,829,554,995,806,208.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $62,963,895,885,810,253,824.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $66,347,607,052,896,747,520.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $69,038,623,005,877,403,648.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $71,062,132,661,628,895,232.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $73,253,568,429,890,854,912.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $74,857,262,804,366,082,048.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $77,237,615,449,202,360,320.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $79,303,106,633,081,454,592.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $81,473,551,637,279,604,736.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $83,115,029,387,069,685,760.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $84,836,272,040,302,280,704.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $87,560,873,215,785,041,920.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $89,840,470,193,115,037,696.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $91,272,040,302,267,006,976.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $92,951,301,427,371,966,464.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $95,029,387,069,689,348,096.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $97,905,121,746,431,557,632.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $99,911,838,790,931,988,480.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $103,182,661,628,883,304,448.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $107,070,822,837,951,315,968.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $105,790,973,971,452,575,744.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $107,239,504,617,968,107,520.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $110,168,345,927,791,804,416.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $111,841,183,879,093,190,656.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $113,120,990,764,063,817,728.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $115,097,103,274,559,209,472.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $114,756,842,989,084,786,688.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $115,517,254,408,060,452,864.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $117,688,329,135,180,546,048.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $119,751,259,445,843,853,312.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $121,501,595,298,068,856,832.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $122,857,808,564,231,749,632.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $128,039,840,470,193,127,424.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $137,710,873,215,785,058,304.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $142,291,939,546,599,489,536.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $147,216,624,685,138,526,208.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $151,516,561,712,846,372,864.00 | 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 |