According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $183,971,530,226.70 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, $13,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $196,971,530,226.70 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 $13,000,000,000 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 | $13,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $11,903,022,670.03 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $11,242,653,232.58 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $11,379,093,198.99 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $11,602,854,743.91 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $11,859,361,880.77 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $12,066,750,629.72 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $11,957,598,656.59 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $11,586,481,947.94 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $11,559,193,954.66 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $11,433,669,185.56 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $10,451,301,427.37 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $9,223,341,729.64 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $8,273,719,563.39 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $8,328,295,549.96 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $8,688,497,061.29 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $8,863,140,218.30 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $9,228,799,328.30 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $9,163,308,144.42 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $8,983,207,388.75 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $9,032,325,776.66 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $9,507,136,859.78 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $10,451,301,427.37 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $11,035,264,483.63 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $11,204,450,041.98 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $11,444,584,382.87 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $12,465,155,331.65 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $14,479,009,235.94 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $15,739,714,525.61 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $15,723,341,729.64 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $15,881,612,090.68 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $17,131,402,183.04 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $17,502,518,891.69 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $17,655,331,654.07 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $17,917,296,389.59 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $18,037,363,560.03 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $18,288,413,098.24 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $18,883,291,351.81 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $19,456,339,210.75 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $19,614,609,571.79 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $19,887,489,504.62 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $19,985,726,280.44 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $20,193,115,029.39 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $20,395,046,179.68 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $20,476,910,159.53 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $20,749,790,092.36 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $21,371,956,339.21 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $21,928,631,402.18 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $22,856,423,173.80 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $24,106,213,266.16 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $25,486,985,726.28 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $26,491,183,879.09 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $27,244,332,493.70 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $28,952,560,873.22 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $32,014,273,719.56 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $34,541,141,897.57 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $36,194,794,290.51 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $38,470,612,930.31 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $41,816,120,906.80 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $47,033,585,222.50 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $53,817,380,352.64 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $58,969,353,484.47 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $62,991,603,694.37 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $65,502,099,076.41 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $67,974,391,267.84 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $70,539,462,636.44 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $72,013,014,273.72 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $74,981,947,942.91 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $77,912,678,421.49 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $81,853,064,651.55 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $86,251,889,168.77 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $89,750,209,907.64 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $92,380,772,460.12 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $95,229,638,958.86 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $97,314,441,645.68 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $100,408,900,083.96 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $103,094,038,623.01 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $105,915,617,128.46 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $108,049,538,203.19 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $110,287,153,652.39 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $113,829,135,180.52 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $116,792,611,251.05 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $118,653,652,392.95 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $120,836,691,855.58 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $123,538,203,190.60 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $127,276,658,270.36 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $129,885,390,428.21 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $134,137,460,117.55 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $139,192,069,689.34 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $137,528,266,162.89 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $139,411,356,003.36 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $143,218,849,706.13 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $145,393,539,042.82 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $147,057,287,993.28 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $149,626,234,256.93 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $149,183,895,885.81 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $150,172,430,730.48 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $152,994,827,875.73 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $155,676,637,279.60 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $157,952,073,887.49 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $159,715,151,133.50 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $166,451,792,611.25 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $179,024,135,180.52 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $184,979,521,410.58 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $191,381,612,090.68 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $196,971,530,226.70 | 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 |