According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $14,434,689,294.71 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, $1,020,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $15,454,689,294.71 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 $1,020,000,000 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 | $1,020,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $933,929,471.03 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $882,115,869.02 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $892,821,158.69 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $910,377,833.75 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $930,503,778.34 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $946,775,818.64 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $938,211,586.90 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $909,093,198.99 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $906,952,141.06 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $897,103,274.56 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $820,025,188.92 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $723,677,581.86 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $649,168,765.74 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $653,450,881.61 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $681,712,846.35 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $695,415,617.13 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $724,105,793.45 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $718,967,254.41 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $704,836,272.04 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $708,690,176.32 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $745,944,584.38 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $820,025,188.92 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $865,843,828.72 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $879,118,387.91 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $897,959,697.73 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $978,035,264.48 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,136,045,340.05 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,234,962,216.62 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,233,677,581.86 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,246,095,717.88 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,344,156,171.28 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,373,274,559.19 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,385,264,483.63 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,405,818,639.80 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,415,239,294.71 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,434,937,027.71 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,481,612,090.68 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,526,574,307.30 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,538,992,443.32 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,560,403,022.67 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,568,110,831.23 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,584,382,871.54 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,600,226,700.25 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,606,649,874.06 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,628,060,453.40 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $1,676,876,574.31 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $1,720,554,156.17 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $1,793,350,125.94 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $1,891,410,579.35 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $1,999,748,110.83 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,078,539,042.82 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,137,632,241.81 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $2,271,662,468.51 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $2,511,889,168.77 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $2,710,151,133.50 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $2,839,899,244.33 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $3,018,463,476.07 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $3,280,957,178.84 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $3,690,327,455.92 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $4,222,594,458.44 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $4,626,826,196.47 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $4,942,418,136.02 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $5,139,395,465.99 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $5,333,375,314.86 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $5,534,634,760.71 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $5,650,251,889.17 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $5,883,198,992.44 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $6,113,148,614.61 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $6,422,317,380.35 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $6,767,455,919.40 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $7,041,939,546.60 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $7,248,337,531.49 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $7,471,863,979.85 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $7,635,440,806.05 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $7,878,236,775.82 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $8,088,916,876.57 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $8,310,302,267.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $8,477,732,997.48 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $8,653,299,748.11 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $8,931,209,068.01 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $9,163,727,959.70 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $9,309,748,110.83 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $9,481,032,745.59 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $9,692,997,481.11 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $9,986,322,418.14 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $10,191,007,556.68 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $10,524,631,486.15 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $10,921,223,929.47 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $10,790,679,345.09 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $10,938,429,471.03 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $11,237,171,284.63 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $11,407,800,755.67 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $11,538,341,057.93 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $11,739,904,534.01 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $11,705,197,984.89 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $11,782,759,949.62 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $12,004,209,571.79 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $12,214,628,463.48 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $12,393,162,720.40 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $12,531,496,473.55 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $13,060,063,727.96 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $14,046,509,068.01 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $14,513,777,833.75 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $15,016,095,717.88 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $15,454,689,294.71 | 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 |