According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,622.73% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $574,447,290,214.80 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, $35,400,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $609,847,290,214.80 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 $35,400,000,000 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 | $35,400,000,000.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $32,358,472,553.70 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $28,556,563,245.82 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $25,616,420,047.73 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $25,785,393,794.75 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $26,900,620,525.06 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $27,441,336,515.51 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $28,573,460,620.53 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $28,370,692,124.11 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $27,813,078,758.95 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $27,965,155,131.26 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $29,435,226,730.31 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $32,358,472,553.70 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $34,166,491,646.78 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $34,690,310,262.53 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $35,433,794,749.40 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $38,593,603,818.62 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $44,828,735,083.53 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $48,732,028,639.62 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $48,681,336,515.51 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $49,171,360,381.86 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $53,040,859,188.54 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $54,189,880,668.26 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $54,663,007,159.90 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $55,474,081,145.58 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $55,845,823,389.02 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $56,623,102,625.30 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $58,464,916,467.78 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $60,239,140,811.46 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $60,729,164,677.80 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $61,574,033,412.89 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $61,878,186,157.52 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $62,520,286,396.18 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $63,145,489,260.14 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $63,398,949,880.67 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $64,243,818,615.75 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $66,170,119,331.74 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $67,893,651,551.31 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $70,766,205,250.60 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $74,635,704,057.28 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $78,910,739,856.80 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $82,019,856,801.91 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $84,351,694,510.74 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $89,640,572,792.36 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $99,120,000,000.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $106,943,484,486.87 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $112,063,389,021.48 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $119,109,594,272.08 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $129,467,684,964.20 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $145,621,575,179.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $166,625,011,933.17 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $182,576,133,651.55 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $195,029,498,806.68 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $202,802,291,169.45 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $210,456,801,909.31 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $218,398,568,019.09 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $222,960,859,188.54 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $232,153,031,026.25 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $241,226,921,241.05 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $253,426,825,775.66 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $267,046,109,785.20 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $277,877,326,968.97 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $286,021,861,575.18 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $294,842,291,169.45 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $301,297,088,305.49 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $310,877,899,761.34 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $319,191,408,114.56 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $327,927,350,835.32 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $334,534,224,343.68 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $341,462,147,971.36 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $352,428,544,152.74 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $361,603,818,615.75 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $367,365,823,389.02 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $374,124,773,269.69 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $382,488,973,747.02 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $394,063,675,417.66 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $402,140,620,525.06 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $415,305,534,128.88 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $430,955,206,682.58 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $425,803,873,031.03 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $431,634,143,198.09 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $443,422,596,658.71 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $450,155,693,556.09 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $455,306,858,233.89 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $463,260,621,479.71 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $461,891,089,260.14 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $464,951,710,739.86 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $473,690,188,066.83 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $481,993,389,021.48 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $489,038,411,455.85 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $494,497,108,353.22 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $515,354,551,789.98 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $554,280,020,047.73 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $572,718,604,295.94 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $592,540,238,663.48 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $609,847,290,214.80 | 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 |