According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $60,003,022,166.25 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, $4,240,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $64,243,022,166.25 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 $4,240,000,000 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 | $4,240,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $3,882,216,624.69 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $3,666,834,592.78 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $3,711,335,012.59 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $3,784,315,701.09 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $3,867,976,490.34 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $3,935,617,128.46 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $3,900,016,792.61 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $3,778,975,650.71 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $3,770,075,566.75 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $3,729,135,180.52 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $3,408,732,157.85 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $3,008,228,379.51 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $2,698,505,457.60 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $2,716,305,625.52 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $2,833,786,733.84 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $2,890,747,271.20 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $3,010,008,396.31 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $2,988,648,194.79 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $2,929,907,640.64 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $2,945,927,791.77 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $3,100,789,252.73 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $3,408,732,157.85 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $3,599,193,954.66 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $3,654,374,475.23 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $3,732,695,214.11 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $4,065,558,354.32 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $4,722,384,550.80 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $5,133,568,429.89 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $5,128,228,379.51 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $5,179,848,866.50 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $5,587,472,712.01 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $5,708,513,853.90 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $5,758,354,324.10 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $5,843,795,130.14 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $5,882,955,499.58 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $5,964,836,272.04 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $6,158,858,102.43 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $6,345,759,865.66 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $6,397,380,352.64 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $6,486,381,192.28 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $6,518,421,494.54 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $6,586,062,132.66 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $6,651,922,753.99 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $6,678,623,005.88 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $6,767,623,845.51 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $6,970,545,759.87 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $7,152,107,472.71 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $7,454,710,327.46 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $7,862,334,172.96 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $8,312,678,421.49 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $8,640,201,511.34 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $8,885,843,828.72 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $9,442,989,084.80 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $10,441,578,505.46 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $11,265,726,280.44 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $11,805,071,368.60 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $12,547,338,371.12 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $13,638,488,664.99 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $15,340,184,718.72 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $17,552,745,591.94 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $19,233,081,444.16 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $20,544,953,820.32 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $21,363,761,544.92 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $22,170,109,151.97 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $23,006,717,044.50 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $23,487,321,578.51 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $24,455,650,713.69 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $25,411,519,731.32 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $26,696,691,855.58 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $28,131,385,390.43 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $29,272,376,154.49 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $30,130,344,248.53 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $31,059,513,014.27 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $31,739,479,429.05 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $32,748,748,950.46 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $33,624,517,212.43 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $34,544,785,894.21 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $35,240,772,460.12 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $35,970,579,345.09 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $37,125,810,243.49 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $38,092,359,361.88 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $38,699,345,088.16 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $39,411,351,805.21 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $40,292,460,117.55 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $41,511,771,620.49 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $42,362,619,647.36 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $43,749,448,530.65 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $45,398,028,883.29 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $44,855,372,963.90 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $45,469,549,958.02 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $46,711,378,673.38 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $47,420,661,964.74 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $47,963,300,083.96 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $48,801,171,788.41 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $48,656,901,427.37 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $48,979,315,869.02 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $49,899,851,553.32 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $50,774,534,005.04 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $51,516,676,406.38 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $52,091,710,831.23 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $54,288,892,359.36 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $58,389,410,243.49 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $60,331,782,367.76 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $62,419,848,866.50 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $64,243,022,166.25 | 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 |