According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $127,364,905,541,561,728 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, $9,000,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $136,364,905,541,561,728 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 $9,000,000,000,000,000 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 | $9,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $8,240,554,156,171,286.00 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $7,783,375,314,861,462.00 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $7,877,833,753,148,614.00 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $8,032,745,591,939,547.00 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $8,210,327,455,919,395.00 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $8,353,904,282,115,869.00 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $8,278,337,531,486,149.00 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $8,021,410,579,345,089.00 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $8,002,518,891,687,660.00 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $7,915,617,128,463,476.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $7,235,516,372,795,971.00 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $6,385,390,428,211,588.00 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $5,727,959,697,732,998.00 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $5,765,743,073,047,860.00 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,015,113,350,125,946.00 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,136,020,151,133,501.00 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $6,389,168,765,743,075.00 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $6,343,828,715,365,240.00 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,219,143,576,826,196.00 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,253,148,614,609,572.00 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $6,581,863,979,848,867.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $7,235,516,372,795,971.00 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $7,639,798,488,664,987.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $7,756,926,952,141,059.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $7,923,173,803,526,449.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $8,629,722,921,914,359.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $10,023,929,471,032,746.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $10,896,725,440,806,044.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $10,885,390,428,211,590.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $10,994,962,216,624,686.00 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $11,860,201,511,335,012.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $12,117,128,463,476,070.00 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $12,222,921,914,357,684.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $12,404,282,115,869,018.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $12,487,405,541,561,716.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $12,661,209,068,010,076.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $13,073,047,858,942,068.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $13,469,773,299,748,112.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $13,579,345,088,161,210.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $13,768,261,964,735,516.00 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $13,836,272,040,302,266.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $13,979,848,866,498,742.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $14,119,647,355,163,730.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $14,176,322,418,136,024.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $14,365,239,294,710,328.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $14,795,969,773,299,750.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $15,181,360,201,511,336.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $15,823,677,581,863,982.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $16,688,916,876,574,310.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $17,644,836,272,040,304.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $18,340,050,377,833,752.00 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $18,861,460,957,178,844.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $20,044,080,604,534,012.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $22,163,727,959,697,736.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $23,913,098,236,775,820.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $25,057,934,508,816,128.00 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $26,633,501,259,445,852.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $28,949,622,166,246,856.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $32,561,712,846,347,612.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $37,258,186,397,984,888.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $40,824,937,027,707,816.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $43,609,571,788,413,104.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $45,347,607,052,896,736.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $47,059,193,954,659,952.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $48,835,012,594,458,440.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $49,855,163,727,959,704.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $51,910,579,345,088,184.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $53,939,546,599,496,224.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $56,667,506,297,229,216.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $59,712,846,347,607,072.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $62,134,760,705,289,680.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $63,955,919,395,466,008.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $65,928,211,586,901,768.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $67,371,536,523,929,480.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $69,513,853,904,282,120.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $71,372,795,969,773,304.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $73,326,196,473,551,648.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $74,803,526,448,362,736.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $76,352,644,836,272,048.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $78,804,785,894,206,528.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $80,856,423,173,803,536.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $82,144,836,272,040,304.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $83,656,171,284,634,768.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $85,526,448,362,720,416.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $88,114,609,571,788,416.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $89,920,654,911,838,816.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $92,864,395,465,994,976.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $96,363,740,554,156,176.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $95,211,876,574,307,312.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $96,515,554,156,171,312.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $99,151,511,335,012,592.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $100,657,065,491,183,856.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $101,808,891,687,657,424.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $103,587,392,947,103,280.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $103,281,158,690,176,320.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $103,965,528,967,254,432.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $105,919,496,221,662,496.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $107,776,133,501,259,456.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $109,351,435,768,261,984.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $110,572,027,707,808,576.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $115,235,856,423,173,824.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $123,939,785,894,206,560.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $128,062,745,591,939,568.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $132,494,962,216,624,656.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $136,364,905,541,561,728.00 | 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 |