According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $332,563,920.03 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, $23,500,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $356,063,920.03 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 $23,500,000 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 | $23,500,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $21,517,002.52 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $20,323,257.77 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $20,569,899.24 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $20,974,391.27 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $21,438,077.25 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $21,812,972.29 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $21,615,659.11 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $20,944,794.29 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $20,895,465.99 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $20,668,555.84 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $18,892,737.20 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $16,672,963.90 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $14,956,339.21 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $15,054,995.80 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $15,706,129.30 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $16,021,830.39 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $16,682,829.55 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $16,564,441.65 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $16,238,874.90 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $16,327,665.83 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $17,185,978.17 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $18,892,737.20 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $19,948,362.72 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $20,254,198.15 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $20,688,287.15 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $22,533,165.41 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $26,173,593.62 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $28,452,560.87 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $28,422,963.90 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $28,709,068.01 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $30,968,303.95 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $31,639,168.77 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $31,915,407.22 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $32,388,958.86 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $32,606,003.36 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $33,059,823.68 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $34,135,180.52 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $35,171,074.73 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $35,457,178.84 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $35,950,461.80 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $36,128,043.66 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $36,502,938.71 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $36,867,968.09 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $37,015,952.98 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $37,509,235.94 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $38,633,921.07 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $39,640,218.30 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $41,317,380.35 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $43,576,616.29 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $46,072,628.04 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $47,887,909.32 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $49,249,370.28 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $52,337,321.58 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $57,871,956.34 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $62,439,756.51 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $65,429,051.22 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $69,543,031.07 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $75,590,680.10 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $85,022,250.21 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $97,285,264.48 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $106,598,446.68 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $113,869,437.45 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $118,407,640.64 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $122,876,784.21 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $127,513,644.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $130,177,371.96 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $135,544,290.51 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $140,842,149.45 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $147,965,155.33 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $155,916,876.57 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $162,240,764.06 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $166,996,011.75 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $172,145,885.81 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $175,914,567.59 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $181,508,396.31 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $186,362,300.59 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $191,462,846.35 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $195,320,319.06 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $199,365,239.29 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $205,768,052.06 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $211,125,104.95 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $214,489,294.71 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $218,435,558.35 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $223,319,059.61 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $230,077,036.10 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $234,792,821.16 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $242,479,254.83 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $251,616,433.67 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $248,608,788.83 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $252,012,835.85 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $258,895,612.93 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $262,826,782.12 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $265,834,328.30 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $270,478,192.70 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $269,678,581.02 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $271,465,547.86 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $276,567,573.47 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $281,415,459.70 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $285,528,748.95 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $288,715,850.13 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $300,893,625.10 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $323,620,552.06 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $334,386,057.93 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $345,959,068.01 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $356,063,920.03 | 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 |