According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,415.17% higher in 2025 versus 1920 (a $135,855,899,244.33 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, $9,600,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $145,455,899,244.33 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 $9,600,000,000 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 | $9,600,000,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $8,789,924,433.25 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $8,302,267,002.52 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $8,403,022,670.03 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $8,568,261,964.74 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $8,757,682,619.65 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $8,910,831,234.26 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $8,830,226,700.25 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $8,556,171,284.63 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $8,536,020,151.13 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $8,443,324,937.03 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $7,717,884,130.98 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $6,811,083,123.43 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $6,109,823,677.58 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $6,150,125,944.58 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,416,120,906.80 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,545,088,161.21 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $6,815,113,350.13 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $6,766,750,629.72 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,633,753,148.61 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,670,025,188.92 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $7,020,654,911.84 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $7,717,884,130.98 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $8,149,118,387.91 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $8,274,055,415.62 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $8,451,385,390.43 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $9,205,037,783.38 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $10,692,191,435.77 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $11,623,173,803.53 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $11,611,083,123.43 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $11,727,959,697.73 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $12,650,881,612.09 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $12,924,937,027.71 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $13,037,783,375.31 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $13,231,234,256.93 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $13,319,899,244.33 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $13,505,289,672.54 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $13,944,584,382.87 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $14,367,758,186.40 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $14,484,634,760.71 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $14,686,146,095.72 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $14,758,690,176.32 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $14,911,838,790.93 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $15,060,957,178.84 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $15,121,410,579.35 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $15,322,921,914.36 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $15,782,367,758.19 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $16,193,450,881.61 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $16,878,589,420.65 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $17,801,511,335.01 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $18,821,158,690.18 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $19,562,720,403.02 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $20,118,891,687.66 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $21,380,352,644.84 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $23,641,309,823.68 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $25,507,304,785.89 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $26,728,463,476.07 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $28,409,068,010.08 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $30,879,596,977.33 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $34,732,493,702.77 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $39,742,065,491.18 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $43,546,599,496.22 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $46,516,876,574.31 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $48,370,780,856.42 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $50,196,473,551.64 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $52,090,680,100.76 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $53,178,841,309.82 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $55,371,284,634.76 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $57,535,516,372.80 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $60,445,340,050.38 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $63,693,702,770.78 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $66,277,078,085.64 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $68,219,647,355.16 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $70,323,425,692.70 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $71,862,972,292.19 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $74,148,110,831.23 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $76,130,982,367.76 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $78,214,609,571.79 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $79,790,428,211.59 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $81,442,821,158.69 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $84,058,438,287.15 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $86,246,851,385.39 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $87,621,158,690.18 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $89,233,249,370.28 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $91,228,211,586.90 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $93,988,916,876.57 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $95,915,365,239.29 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $99,055,355,163.73 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $102,787,989,924.43 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $101,559,335,012.59 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $102,949,924,433.25 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $105,761,612,090.68 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $107,367,536,523.93 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $108,596,151,133.50 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $110,493,219,143.58 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $110,166,569,269.52 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $110,896,564,231.74 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $112,980,795,969.77 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $114,961,209,068.01 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $116,641,531,486.15 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $117,943,496,221.66 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $122,918,246,851.39 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $132,202,438,287.15 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $136,600,261,964.74 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $141,327,959,697.73 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $145,455,899,244.33 | 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 |