According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $174,711,802,993.88 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, $12,345,678,900 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $187,057,481,893.88 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 $12,345,678,900 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 | $12,345,678,900.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $11,303,915,063.35 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $10,676,783,599.50 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $10,806,356,215.99 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $11,018,855,307.05 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $11,262,451,826.07 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $11,459,402,203.15 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $11,355,744,109.95 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $11,003,306,593.07 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $10,977,392,069.77 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $10,858,185,262.59 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $9,925,262,423.80 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $8,759,108,875.31 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $7,857,283,464.48 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $7,909,112,511.08 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $8,251,184,218.64 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $8,417,037,167.76 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $8,764,291,779.97 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $8,702,096,924.06 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $8,531,061,070.28 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $8,577,707,212.22 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $9,028,619,917.63 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $9,925,262,423.80 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $10,479,833,222.42 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $10,640,503,266.88 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $10,868,551,071.91 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $11,837,754,243.32 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $13,750,246,062.85 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $14,947,497,039.29 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $14,931,948,325.31 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $15,082,252,560.45 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $16,269,137,727.58 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $16,621,575,244.46 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $16,766,696,574.94 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $17,015,475,998.61 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $17,129,499,901.13 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $17,367,913,515.49 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $17,932,850,123.43 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $18,477,055,112.72 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $18,627,359,347.86 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $18,886,504,580.86 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $18,979,796,864.74 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $19,176,747,241.81 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $19,368,514,714.23 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $19,446,258,284.13 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $19,705,403,517.13 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $20,296,254,648.36 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $20,824,910,923.68 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $21,706,004,715.87 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $22,892,889,883.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $24,204,164,761.96 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $25,157,819,219.40 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $25,873,060,062.47 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $27,495,309,221.03 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $30,402,918,735.26 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $32,802,603,592.82 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $34,373,023,704.79 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $36,534,294,947.98 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $39,711,415,504.53 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $44,666,272,359.45 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $51,108,622,851.76 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $56,001,284,850.76 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $59,821,085,585.14 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $62,205,221,728.72 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $64,553,077,539.67 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $66,989,042,729.85 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $68,388,426,988.04 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $71,207,927,123.05 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $73,991,146,925.44 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $77,733,204,089.92 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $81,910,625,245.84 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $85,232,867,132.87 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $87,731,027,178.97 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $90,436,503,411.46 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $92,416,372,991.56 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $95,355,079,933.75 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $97,905,069,026.45 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $100,584,630,735.64 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $102,611,146,457.68 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $104,736,137,368.26 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $108,099,842,492.57 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $110,914,159,722.92 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $112,681,530,211.96 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $114,754,692,075.94 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $117,320,229,882.62 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $120,870,519,574.69 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $123,347,948,002.14 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $127,386,000,851.75 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $132,186,199,831.61 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $130,606,139,516.98 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $132,394,448,940.85 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $136,010,302,376.86 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $138,075,534,396.71 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $139,655,542,882.30 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $142,095,187,934.78 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $141,675,113,512.10 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $142,613,893,033.15 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $145,294,232,178.05 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $147,841,059,698.90 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $150,001,968,138.77 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $151,676,305,489.17 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $158,073,875,685.22 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $170,013,422,176.07 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $175,669,059,570.05 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $181,748,917,710.45 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $187,057,481,893.88 | 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 |