According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,428.24% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $773,029,597.57 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, $54,124,464.56 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $827,154,062.13 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 $54,124,464.56 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 | $54,124,464.56 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $49,557,286.82 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $46,807,891.27 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $47,375,948.20 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $48,307,561.57 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $49,375,508.60 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $50,238,955.14 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $49,784,509.59 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $48,239,394.74 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $48,125,783.35 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $47,603,170.97 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $43,513,161.05 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $38,400,648.66 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $34,446,972.41 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $34,674,195.18 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $36,173,865.48 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $36,900,978.36 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $38,423,370.94 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $38,150,703.61 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $37,400,868.46 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $37,605,368.95 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $39,582,207.08 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $43,513,161.05 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $45,944,444.73 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $46,648,835.32 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $47,648,615.53 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $51,897,681.38 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $60,282,201.71 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $65,531,047.77 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $65,462,880.94 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $66,121,826.98 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $71,325,228.49 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $72,870,343.34 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $73,506,567.11 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $74,597,236.42 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $75,097,126.52 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $76,142,351.28 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $78,619,079.50 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $81,004,918.62 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $81,663,864.66 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $82,799,978.53 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $83,208,979.52 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $84,072,426.06 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $84,913,150.32 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $85,253,984.48 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $86,390,098.34 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $88,980,437.96 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $91,298,110.24 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $95,160,897.39 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $100,364,298.89 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $106,113,035.05 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $110,293,934.08 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $113,429,608.35 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $120,541,681.15 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $133,288,878.72 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $143,809,293.12 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $150,694,143.14 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $160,169,332.78 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $174,098,088.77 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $195,820,585.89 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $224,064,376.59 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $245,514,206.37 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $262,260,524.75 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $272,712,772.31 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $283,005,963.94 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $293,685,434.27 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $299,820,449.15 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $312,181,368.01 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $324,383,230.92 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $340,788,715.14 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $359,102,870.66 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $373,667,850.42 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $384,619,988.08 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $396,481,016.84 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $405,160,926.77 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $418,044,458.01 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $429,223,818.45 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $440,971,235.82 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $449,855,646.25 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $459,171,779.94 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $473,918,537.92 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $486,256,734.50 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $494,005,031.07 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $503,093,941.99 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $514,341,469.26 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $529,906,229.22 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $540,767,477.78 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $558,470,631.25 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $579,515,095.61 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $572,587,982.15 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $580,428,076.71 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $596,280,273.48 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $605,334,419.32 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $612,261,305.56 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $622,956,908.71 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $621,115,268.14 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $625,230,954.23 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $636,981,779.94 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $648,147,279.79 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $657,620,878.87 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $664,961,310.56 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $693,008,780.78 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $745,352,727.69 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $770,147,503.92 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $796,802,098.54 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $822,097,673.76 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $827,154,062.13 | 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 |