According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,428.24% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $7,769,649,168,765,745 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, $544,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $8,313,649,168,765,745 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 $544,000,000,000,000 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 | $544,000,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $498,095,717,884,131.06 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $470,461,796,809,404.00 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $476,171,284,634,760.75 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $485,534,844,668,345.94 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $496,268,681,780,016.75 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $504,947,103,274,559.25 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $500,379,513,014,273.94 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $484,849,706,129,303.13 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $483,707,808,564,231.94 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $478,455,079,764,903.44 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $437,346,767,422,334.25 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $385,961,376,994,122.75 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $346,223,341,729,639.00 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $348,507,136,859,781.75 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $363,580,184,718,723.81 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $370,888,329,135,180.56 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $386,189,756,507,136.94 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $383,449,202,350,965.63 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $375,912,678,421,494.56 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $377,968,094,038,623.06 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $397,837,111,670,864.81 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $437,346,767,422,334.25 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $461,783,375,314,861.44 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $468,863,140,218,304.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $478,911,838,790,932.06 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $521,618,807,724,601.25 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $605,890,848,026,868.13 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $658,646,515,533,165.50 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $657,961,376,994,122.75 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $664,584,382,871,536.63 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $716,883,291,351,805.25 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $732,413,098,236,775.88 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $738,807,724,601,175.50 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $749,769,941,225,860.75 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $754,794,290,512,174.75 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $765,299,748,110,831.38 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $790,193,115,029,387.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $814,172,963,895,885.88 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $820,795,969,773,299.88 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $832,214,945,424,013.50 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $836,325,776,658,270.38 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $845,004,198,152,812.75 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $853,454,240,134,341.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $856,879,932,829,555.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $868,298,908,480,268.75 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $894,334,172,963,896.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $917,628,883,291,351.88 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $956,453,400,503,778.50 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $1,008,752,308,984,047.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $1,066,532,325,776,658.25 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $1,108,554,156,171,284.50 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $1,140,070,528,967,254.50 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $1,211,553,316,540,722.25 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $1,339,674,223,341,729.75 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $1,445,413,937,867,338.50 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $1,514,612,930,310,663.75 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $1,609,847,187,237,615.75 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $1,749,843,828,715,365.50 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $1,968,174,643,157,011.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $2,252,050,377,833,753.50 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $2,467,640,638,119,228.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $2,635,956,339,210,747.50 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $2,741,010,915,197,313.50 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $2,844,466,834,592,780.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $2,951,805,205,709,488.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $3,013,467,674,223,342.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $3,137,706,129,303,107.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $3,260,345,927,791,771.50 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $3,425,235,936,188,077.50 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $3,609,309,823,677,582.50 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $3,755,701,091,519,731.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $3,865,780,016,792,611.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $3,984,994,122,586,062.50 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $4,072,235,096,557,515.50 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $4,201,726,280,436,608.50 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $4,314,089,000,839,630.50 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $4,432,161,209,068,010.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $4,521,457,598,656,591.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $4,615,093,198,992,444.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $4,763,311,502,938,706.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $4,887,321,578,505,459.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $4,965,198,992,443,325.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $5,056,550,797,649,035.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $5,169,598,656,591,100.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $5,326,038,623,005,878.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $5,435,204,030,226,702.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $5,613,136,792,611,252.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $5,824,652,762,384,550.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $5,755,028,984,047,020.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $5,833,829,051,217,466.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $5,993,158,018,471,873.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $6,084,160,403,022,670.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $6,153,781,897,565,071.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $6,261,282,418,136,020.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $6,242,772,258,606,214.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $6,284,138,639,798,490.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $6,402,245,104,953,821.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $6,514,468,513,853,903.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $6,609,686,784,214,947.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $6,683,464,785,894,207.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $6,965,367,321,578,508.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $7,491,471,502,938,708.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $7,740,681,511,335,013.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $8,008,584,382,871,537.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $8,262,827,875,734,678.00 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $8,313,649,168,765,745.00 | 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 |