According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $17,689,570,214.11 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, $1,250,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $18,939,570,214.11 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 $1,250,000,000 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 | $1,250,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $1,144,521,410.58 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $1,081,024,349.29 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $1,094,143,576.83 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $1,115,659,109.99 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $1,140,323,257.77 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $1,160,264,483.63 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $1,149,769,101.60 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $1,114,084,802.69 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $1,111,460,957.18 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $1,099,391,267.84 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $1,004,932,829.55 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $886,859,781.70 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $795,549,958.02 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $800,797,649.03 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $835,432,409.74 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $852,225,020.99 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $887,384,550.80 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $881,087,321.58 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $863,769,941.23 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $868,492,863.14 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $914,147,774.98 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $1,004,932,829.55 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $1,061,083,123.43 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $1,077,350,965.58 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $1,100,440,806.05 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $1,198,572,628.04 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,392,212,426.53 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,513,434,089.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,511,859,781.70 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,527,078,085.64 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,647,250,209.91 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,682,934,508.82 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,697,628,043.66 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,722,816,960.54 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,734,361,880.77 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,758,501,259.45 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,815,701,091.52 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,870,801,847.19 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,886,020,151.13 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,912,258,606.21 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,921,704,450.04 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,941,645,675.90 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,961,062,132.66 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,968,933,669.19 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,995,172,124.27 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $2,054,995,801.85 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $2,108,522,250.21 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $2,197,732,997.48 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $2,317,905,121.75 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $2,450,671,704.45 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,547,229,219.14 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,619,647,355.16 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $2,783,900,083.96 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $3,078,295,549.96 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $3,321,263,644.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $3,480,268,681.78 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $3,699,097,397.15 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $4,020,780,856.42 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $4,522,460,117.55 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $5,174,748,110.83 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $5,670,130,142.74 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $6,056,884,970.61 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $6,298,278,757.35 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $6,535,999,160.37 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $6,782,640,638.12 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $6,924,328,295.55 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $7,209,802,686.82 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $7,491,603,694.37 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $7,870,486,985.73 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $8,293,450,881.61 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $8,629,827,875.73 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $8,882,766,582.70 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $9,156,696,053.74 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $9,357,157,850.55 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $9,654,701,931.15 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $9,912,888,329.14 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $10,184,193,954.66 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $10,389,378,673.38 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $10,604,534,005.04 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $10,945,109,151.97 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $11,230,058,774.14 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $11,409,005,037.78 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $11,618,912,678.42 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $11,878,673,383.71 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $12,238,140,218.30 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $12,488,979,848.87 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $12,897,832,703.61 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $13,383,852,854.74 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $13,223,871,746.43 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $13,404,938,077.25 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $13,771,043,240.97 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $13,980,147,984.89 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $14,140,123,845.51 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $14,387,137,909.32 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $14,344,605,373.64 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $14,439,656,801.01 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $14,711,041,141.90 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $14,968,907,430.73 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $15,187,699,412.26 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $15,357,226,070.53 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $16,004,980,058.77 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $17,213,859,151.97 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $17,786,492,443.32 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $18,402,078,085.64 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $18,939,570,214.11 | 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 |