According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,428.24% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $684,129,035.26 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 2.61% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $47,900,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $732,029,035.26 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% 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 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation in Chicago was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $47,900,000 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 | $47,900,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $43,858,060.45 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $41,424,853.06 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $41,927,581.86 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $42,752,057.09 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $43,697,187.24 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $44,461,335.01 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $44,059,151.97 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $42,691,729.64 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $42,591,183.88 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $42,128,673.38 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $38,509,026.03 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $33,984,466.83 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $30,485,474.39 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $30,686,565.91 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $32,013,769.94 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $32,657,262.80 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $34,004,575.99 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $33,763,266.16 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $33,099,664.15 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $33,280,646.52 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $35,030,142.74 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $38,509,026.03 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $40,660,705.29 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $41,284,089.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $42,168,891.69 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $45,929,303.11 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $53,349,580.18 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $57,994,794.29 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $57,934,466.83 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $58,517,632.24 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $63,122,628.04 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $64,490,050.38 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $65,053,106.63 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $66,018,345.93 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $66,460,747.27 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $67,385,768.26 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $69,577,665.83 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $71,689,126.78 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $72,272,292.19 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $73,277,749.79 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $73,639,714.53 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $74,403,862.30 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $75,147,900.92 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $75,449,538.20 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $76,454,995.80 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $78,747,439.13 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $80,798,572.63 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $84,217,128.46 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $88,822,124.27 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $93,909,739.71 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $97,609,823.68 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $100,384,886.65 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $106,679,051.22 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $117,960,285.47 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $127,270,822.84 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $133,363,895.89 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $141,749,412.26 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $154,076,322.42 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $173,300,671.70 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $198,296,347.61 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $217,279,387.07 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $232,099,832.07 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $241,350,041.98 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $250,459,487.83 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $259,910,789.25 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $265,340,260.29 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $276,279,638.96 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $287,078,253.57 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $301,597,061.29 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $317,805,037.78 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $330,695,004.20 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $340,387,615.45 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $350,884,592.78 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $358,566,288.83 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $369,968,178.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $379,861,880.77 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $390,258,312.34 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $398,120,990.76 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $406,365,743.07 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $419,416,582.70 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $430,335,852.23 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $437,193,073.05 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $445,236,733.84 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $455,190,764.06 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $468,965,533.17 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $478,577,707.81 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $494,244,949.20 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $512,869,241.39 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $506,738,765.32 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $513,677,227.12 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $527,706,376.99 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $535,719,270.78 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $541,849,545.76 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $551,315,124.69 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $549,685,277.92 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $553,327,648.61 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $563,727,096.56 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $573,608,532.75 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $581,992,641.48 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $588,488,903.02 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $613,310,835.85 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $659,635,082.70 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $681,578,390.43 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $705,167,632.24 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $727,554,145.68 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $732,029,035.26 | 0.62%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| 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 | 301.502 | 303.356 |