According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $181,174,596.90 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, $12,802,360 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $193,976,956.90 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 $12,802,360 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 | $12,802,360.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $11,722,060.10 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $11,071,730.31 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $11,206,095.97 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $11,426,455.65 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $11,679,063.09 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $11,883,298.89 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $11,775,806.36 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $11,410,331.77 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $11,383,458.64 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $11,259,842.23 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $10,292,409.49 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $9,083,118.56 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $8,147,933.57 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $8,201,679.83 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $8,556,405.17 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $8,728,393.22 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $9,088,493.18 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $9,023,997.67 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $8,846,635.00 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $8,895,006.63 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $9,362,599.13 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $10,292,409.49 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $10,867,494.51 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $11,034,107.93 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $11,270,591.49 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $12,275,646.62 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $14,258,883.74 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $15,500,422.43 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $15,484,298.56 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $15,640,162.72 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $16,870,952.16 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $17,236,426.75 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $17,386,916.29 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $17,644,898.35 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $17,763,140.13 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $18,010,372.95 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $18,596,207.22 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $19,160,542.99 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $19,316,407.15 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $19,585,138.47 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $19,681,881.75 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $19,886,117.55 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $20,084,978.72 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $20,165,598.12 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $20,434,329.44 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $21,047,036.84 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $21,595,248.73 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $22,508,935.21 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $23,739,724.65 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $25,099,505.12 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $26,088,436.37 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $26,830,134.81 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $28,512,392.86 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $31,527,558.25 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $34,016,010.26 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $35,644,522.05 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $37,885,741.24 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $41,180,387.20 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $46,318,530.01 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $52,999,190.58 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $58,072,837.87 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $62,033,937.50 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $64,506,265.63 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $66,940,971.37 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $69,467,045.76 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $70,918,194.88 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $73,841,991.62 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $76,728,165.98 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $80,608,646.21 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $84,940,595.06 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $88,385,730.56 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $90,976,300.47 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $93,781,855.43 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $95,834,962.70 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $98,882,375.85 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $101,526,692.02 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $104,305,373.85 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $106,406,852.76 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $108,610,449.57 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $112,098,582.08 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $115,017,004.20 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $116,849,751.79 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $118,999,602.33 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $121,660,042.38 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $125,341,661.44 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $127,910,732.85 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $132,098,157.99 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $137,075,921.95 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $135,437,413.35 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $137,291,874.43 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $141,041,482.52 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $143,183,109.88 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $144,821,564.73 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $147,351,455.11 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $146,915,841.64 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $147,889,347.71 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $150,668,835.74 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $153,309,873.39 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $155,550,716.36 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $157,286,989.41 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $163,921,213.20 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $176,302,417.48 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $182,167,263.52 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $188,472,022.72 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $193,976,956.90 | 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 |