According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $247,653,982,997.48 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, $17,500,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $265,153,982,997.48 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 $17,500,000,000 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 | $17,500,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $16,023,299,748.11 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $15,134,340,890.01 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $15,318,010,075.57 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $15,619,227,539.88 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $15,964,525,608.73 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $16,243,702,770.78 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $16,096,767,422.33 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $15,597,187,237.62 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $15,560,453,400.50 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $15,391,477,749.79 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $14,069,059,613.77 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $12,416,036,943.74 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $11,137,699,412.26 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $11,211,167,086.48 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $11,696,053,736.36 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $11,931,150,293.87 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $12,423,383,711.17 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $12,335,222,502.10 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $12,092,779,177.16 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $12,158,900,083.96 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $12,798,068,849.71 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $14,069,059,613.77 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $14,855,163,727.96 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $15,082,913,518.05 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $15,406,171,284.63 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $16,780,016,792.61 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $19,490,973,971.45 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $21,188,077,246.01 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $21,166,036,943.74 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $21,379,093,198.99 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $23,061,502,938.71 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $23,561,083,123.43 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $23,766,792,611.25 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $24,119,437,447.52 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $24,281,066,330.81 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $24,619,017,632.24 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $25,419,815,281.28 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $26,191,225,860.62 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $26,404,282,115.87 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $26,771,620,486.99 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $26,903,862,300.59 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $27,183,039,462.64 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $27,454,869,857.26 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $27,565,071,368.60 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $27,932,409,739.71 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $28,769,941,225.86 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $29,519,311,502.94 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $30,768,261,964.74 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $32,450,671,704.45 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $34,309,403,862.30 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $35,661,209,068.01 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $36,675,062,972.29 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $38,974,601,175.48 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $43,096,137,699.41 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $46,497,691,015.95 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $48,723,761,544.92 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $51,787,363,560.03 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $56,290,931,989.92 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $63,314,441,645.68 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $72,446,473,551.64 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $79,381,821,998.32 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $84,796,389,588.58 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $88,175,902,602.85 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $91,503,988,245.17 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $94,956,968,933.67 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $96,940,596,137.70 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $100,937,237,615.45 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $104,882,451,721.24 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $110,186,817,800.17 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $116,108,312,342.57 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $120,817,590,260.29 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $124,358,732,157.85 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $128,193,744,752.31 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $131,000,209,907.64 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $135,165,827,036.10 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $138,780,436,607.89 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $142,578,715,365.24 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $145,451,301,427.37 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $148,463,476,070.53 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $153,231,528,127.62 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $157,220,822,837.95 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $159,726,070,528.97 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $162,664,777,497.90 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $166,301,427,371.96 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $171,333,963,056.26 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $174,845,717,884.13 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $180,569,657,850.55 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $187,373,939,966.41 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $185,134,204,450.04 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $187,669,133,081.44 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $192,794,605,373.64 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $195,722,071,788.41 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $197,961,733,837.11 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $201,419,930,730.48 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $200,824,475,230.90 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $202,155,195,214.11 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $205,954,575,986.57 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $209,564,704,030.23 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $212,627,791,771.62 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $215,001,164,987.41 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $224,069,720,822.84 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $240,994,028,127.62 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $249,010,894,206.55 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $257,629,093,198.99 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $265,153,982,997.48 | 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 |