According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,622.73% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $1,174,837,461.60 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, $72,398,715.86 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $1,247,236,177.46 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 $72,398,715.86 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 | $72,398,715.86 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $66,178,301.13 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $58,402,782.72 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $52,389,715.15 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $52,735,293.75 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $55,016,112.48 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $56,121,963.99 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $58,437,340.58 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $58,022,646.27 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $56,882,236.90 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $57,193,257.64 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $60,199,791.42 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $66,178,301.13 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $69,875,992.11 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $70,947,285.76 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $72,467,831.58 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $78,930,151.32 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $91,682,001.52 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $99,664,867.08 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $99,561,193.50 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $100,563,371.43 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $108,477,121.28 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $110,827,055.73 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $111,794,675.80 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $113,453,453.06 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $114,213,725.97 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $115,803,387.52 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $119,570,194.21 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $123,198,769.47 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $124,200,947.40 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $125,928,840.38 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $126,550,881.85 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $127,864,080.52 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $129,142,721.32 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $129,661,089.22 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $131,388,982.20 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $135,328,578.19 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $138,853,479.87 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $144,728,316.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $152,642,065.85 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $161,385,204.33 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $167,743,850.49 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $172,512,835.12 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $183,329,445.17 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $202,716,404.41 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $218,716,693.40 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $229,187,724.86 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $243,598,352.31 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $264,782,320.25 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $297,819,634.02 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $340,775,053.51 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $373,397,672.97 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $398,866,815.49 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $414,763,430.91 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $430,418,141.31 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $446,660,335.32 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $455,990,957.41 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $474,790,433.03 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $493,348,003.64 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $518,298,778.27 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $546,152,413.10 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $568,304,001.11 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $584,960,889.43 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $603,000,092.14 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $616,201,194.51 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $635,795,500.90 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $652,797,967.83 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $670,664,381.24 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $684,176,504.34 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $698,345,226.78 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $720,773,277.66 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $739,538,195.42 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $751,322,425.54 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $765,145,569.38 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $782,251,709.88 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $805,923,843.71 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $822,442,500.60 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $849,366,874.59 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $881,372,981.84 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $870,837,672.76 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $882,761,516.63 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $906,870,807.38 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $920,641,077.70 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $931,176,041.20 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $947,442,771.29 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $944,641,856.77 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $950,901,321.88 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $968,772,918.97 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $985,754,305.60 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $1,000,162,514.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $1,011,326,430.54 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $1,053,983,270.12 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $1,133,592,137.81 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $1,171,302,019.78 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $1,211,840,462.56 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $1,247,236,177.46 | 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 |