According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $16,981,987,405,541,562 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, $1,200,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $18,181,987,405,541,564 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 $1,200,000,000,000,000 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 | $1,200,000,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $1,098,740,554,156,171.38 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $1,037,783,375,314,861.63 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $1,050,377,833,753,148.75 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $1,071,032,745,591,939.50 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $1,094,710,327,455,919.25 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $1,113,853,904,282,116.00 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $1,103,778,337,531,486.50 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $1,069,521,410,579,345.25 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $1,067,002,518,891,688.00 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $1,055,415,617,128,463.63 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $964,735,516,372,796.13 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $851,385,390,428,211.50 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $763,727,959,697,733.13 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $768,765,743,073,048.00 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $802,015,113,350,126.13 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $818,136,020,151,133.63 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $851,889,168,765,743.00 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $845,843,828,715,365.50 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $829,219,143,576,826.25 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $833,753,148,614,609.63 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $877,581,863,979,849.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $964,735,516,372,796.13 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $1,018,639,798,488,665.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $1,034,256,926,952,141.13 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $1,056,423,173,803,526.50 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $1,150,629,722,921,914.50 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,336,523,929,471,033.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,452,896,725,440,806.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,451,385,390,428,211.75 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,465,994,962,216,624.75 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,581,360,201,511,335.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,615,617,128,463,475.75 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,629,722,921,914,357.75 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,653,904,282,115,869.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,664,987,405,541,562.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,688,161,209,068,010.25 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,743,073,047,858,942.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,795,969,773,299,748.25 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,810,579,345,088,161.50 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,835,768,261,964,735.75 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,844,836,272,040,302.50 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,863,979,848,866,499.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,882,619,647,355,164.25 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,890,176,322,418,136.25 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,915,365,239,294,710.50 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $1,972,795,969,773,299.75 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $2,024,181,360,201,511.25 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $2,109,823,677,581,864.25 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $2,225,188,916,876,574.50 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $2,352,644,836,272,040.50 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,445,340,050,377,833.50 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,514,861,460,957,179.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $2,672,544,080,604,534.50 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $2,955,163,727,959,698.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $3,188,413,098,236,775.50 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $3,341,057,934,508,817.50 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $3,551,133,501,259,446.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $3,859,949,622,166,247.50 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $4,341,561,712,846,348.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $4,967,758,186,397,985.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $5,443,324,937,027,708.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $5,814,609,571,788,413.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $6,046,347,607,052,897.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $6,274,559,193,954,661.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $6,511,335,012,594,459.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $6,647,355,163,727,960.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $6,921,410,579,345,091.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $7,191,939,546,599,496.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $7,555,667,506,297,230.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $7,961,712,846,347,610.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $8,284,634,760,705,292.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $8,527,455,919,395,468.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $8,790,428,211,586,903.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $8,982,871,536,523,930.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $9,268,513,853,904,284.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $9,516,372,795,969,774.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $9,776,826,196,473,552.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $9,973,803,526,448,364.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $10,180,352,644,836,274.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $10,507,304,785,894,206.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $10,780,856,423,173,804.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $10,952,644,836,272,040.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $11,154,156,171,284,636.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $11,403,526,448,362,722.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $11,748,614,609,571,788.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $11,989,420,654,911,842.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $12,381,919,395,465,996.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $12,848,498,740,554,158.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $12,694,916,876,574,308.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $12,868,740,554,156,172.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $13,220,201,511,335,014.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $13,420,942,065,491,184.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $13,574,518,891,687,656.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $13,811,652,392,947,102.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $13,770,821,158,690,176.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $13,862,070,528,967,256.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $14,122,599,496,221,666.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $14,370,151,133,501,260.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $14,580,191,435,768,264.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $14,742,937,027,707,810.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $15,364,780,856,423,176.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $16,525,304,785,894,208.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $17,075,032,745,591,942.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $17,665,994,962,216,624.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $18,181,987,405,541,564.00 | 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 |