According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $254,729,811,083.12 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, $18,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $272,729,811,083.12 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 $18,000,000,000 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 | $18,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $16,481,108,312.34 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $15,566,750,629.72 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $15,755,667,506.30 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $16,065,491,183.88 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $16,420,654,911.84 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $16,707,808,564.23 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $16,556,675,062.97 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $16,042,821,158.69 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $16,005,037,783.38 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $15,831,234,256.93 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $14,471,032,745.59 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $12,770,780,856.42 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $11,455,919,395.47 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $11,531,486,146.10 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $12,030,226,700.25 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $12,272,040,302.27 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $12,778,337,531.49 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $12,687,657,430.73 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $12,438,287,153.65 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $12,506,297,229.22 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $13,163,727,959.70 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $14,471,032,745.59 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $15,279,596,977.33 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $15,513,853,904.28 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $15,846,347,607.05 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $17,259,445,843.83 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $20,047,858,942.07 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $21,793,450,881.61 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $21,770,780,856.42 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $21,989,924,433.25 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $23,720,403,022.67 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $24,234,256,926.95 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $24,445,843,828.72 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $24,808,564,231.74 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $24,974,811,083.12 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $25,322,418,136.02 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $26,146,095,717.88 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $26,939,546,599.50 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $27,158,690,176.32 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $27,536,523,929.47 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $27,672,544,080.60 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $27,959,697,733.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $28,239,294,710.33 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $28,352,644,836.27 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $28,730,478,589.42 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $29,591,939,546.60 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $30,362,720,403.02 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $31,647,355,163.73 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $33,377,833,753.15 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $35,289,672,544.08 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $36,680,100,755.67 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $37,722,921,914.36 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $40,088,161,209.07 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $44,327,455,919.40 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $47,826,196,473.55 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $50,115,869,017.63 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $53,267,002,518.89 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $57,899,244,332.49 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $65,123,425,692.70 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $74,516,372,795.97 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $81,649,874,055.42 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $87,219,143,576.83 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $90,695,214,105.79 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $94,118,387,909.32 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $97,670,025,188.92 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $99,710,327,455.92 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $103,821,158,690.18 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $107,879,093,198.99 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $113,335,012,594.46 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $119,425,692,695.21 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $124,269,521,410.58 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $127,911,838,790.93 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $131,856,423,173.80 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $134,743,073,047.86 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $139,027,707,808.56 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $142,745,591,939.55 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $146,652,392,947.10 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $149,607,052,896.73 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $152,705,289,672.54 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $157,609,571,788.41 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $161,712,846,347.61 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $164,289,672,544.08 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $167,312,342,569.27 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $171,052,896,725.44 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $176,229,219,143.58 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $179,841,309,823.68 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $185,728,790,931.99 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $192,727,481,108.31 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $190,423,753,148.61 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $193,031,108,312.34 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $198,303,022,670.03 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $201,314,130,982.37 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $203,617,783,375.31 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $207,174,785,894.21 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $206,562,317,380.35 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $207,931,057,934.51 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $211,838,992,443.32 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $215,552,267,002.52 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $218,702,871,536.52 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $221,144,055,415.62 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $230,471,712,846.35 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $247,879,571,788.41 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $256,125,491,183.88 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $264,989,924,433.25 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $272,729,811,083.12 | 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 |