According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,622.73% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $175,255,105,489.26 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.04% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $10,800,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $186,055,105,489.26 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.16% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -1.09%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1930-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.65%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $10,800,000,000 beginning in 1930. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | $10,800,000,000.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $9,872,076,372.32 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $8,712,171,837.71 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $7,815,178,997.61 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $7,866,730,310.26 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $8,206,968,973.75 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $8,371,933,174.22 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $8,717,326,968.97 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $8,655,465,393.79 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $8,485,346,062.05 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $8,531,742,243.44 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $8,980,238,663.48 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $9,872,076,372.32 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $10,423,675,417.66 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $10,583,484,486.87 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $10,810,310,262.53 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $11,774,319,809.07 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $13,676,563,245.82 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $14,867,398,568.02 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $14,851,933,174.22 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $15,001,431,980.91 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $16,181,957,040.57 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $16,532,505,966.59 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $16,676,849,642.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $16,924,295,942.72 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $17,037,708,830.55 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $17,274,844,868.74 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $17,836,754,176.61 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $18,378,042,959.43 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $18,527,541,766.11 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $18,785,298,329.36 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $18,878,090,692.12 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $19,073,985,680.19 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $19,264,725,536.99 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $19,342,052,505.97 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $19,599,809,069.21 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $20,187,494,033.41 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $20,713,317,422.43 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $21,589,689,737.47 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $22,770,214,797.14 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $24,074,463,007.16 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $25,023,007,159.90 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $25,734,415,274.46 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $27,347,971,360.38 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $30,240,000,000.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $32,626,825,775.66 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $34,188,830,548.93 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $36,338,520,286.40 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $39,498,615,751.79 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $44,426,921,241.05 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $50,834,749,403.34 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $55,701,193,317.42 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $59,500,525,059.67 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $61,871,885,441.53 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $64,207,159,904.53 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $66,630,071,599.05 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $68,021,957,040.57 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $70,826,348,448.69 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $73,594,653,937.95 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $77,316,658,711.22 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $81,471,694,510.74 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $84,776,133,651.55 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $87,260,906,921.24 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $89,951,885,441.53 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $91,921,145,584.73 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $94,844,105,011.93 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $97,380,429,594.27 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $100,045,632,458.23 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $102,061,288,782.82 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $104,174,892,601.43 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $107,520,572,792.36 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $110,319,809,069.21 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $112,077,708,830.55 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $114,139,761,336.52 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $116,691,551,312.65 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $120,222,816,229.12 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $122,686,968,973.75 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $126,703,383,293.56 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $131,477,859,665.87 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $129,906,266,348.45 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $131,684,992,840.10 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $135,281,470,167.06 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $137,335,635,322.20 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $138,907,177,088.31 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $141,333,748,926.01 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $140,915,925,536.99 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $141,849,674,463.01 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $144,515,650,596.66 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $147,048,830,548.93 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $149,198,159,427.21 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $150,863,524,582.34 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $157,226,812,410.50 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $169,102,378,997.61 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $174,727,709,785.20 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $180,774,988,066.83 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $186,055,105,489.26 | 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 |