According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,622.73% higher in 2025 versus 1930 (a $1,257,617.66 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, $77,500 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $1,335,117.66 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 $77,500 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 | $77,500.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $70,841.29 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $62,517.90 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $56,081.15 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $56,451.07 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $58,892.60 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $60,076.37 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $62,554.89 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $62,110.98 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $60,890.21 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $61,223.15 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $64,441.53 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $70,841.29 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $74,799.52 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $75,946.30 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $77,573.99 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $84,491.65 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $98,142.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $106,687.35 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $106,576.37 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $107,649.16 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $116,120.53 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $118,636.04 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $119,671.84 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $121,447.49 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $122,261.34 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $123,963.01 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $127,995.23 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $131,879.47 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $132,952.27 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $134,801.91 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $135,467.78 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $136,873.51 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $138,242.24 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $138,797.14 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $140,646.78 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $144,863.96 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $148,637.23 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $154,926.01 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $163,397.37 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $172,756.56 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $179,563.25 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $184,668.26 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $196,247.02 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $217,000.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $234,127.68 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $245,336.52 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $260,762.53 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $283,439.14 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $318,804.30 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $364,786.40 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $399,707.64 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $426,971.36 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $443,988.07 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $460,745.82 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $478,132.46 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $488,120.53 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $508,244.63 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $528,109.79 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $554,818.62 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $584,634.84 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $608,347.26 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $626,177.80 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $645,488.07 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $659,619.33 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $680,594.27 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $698,794.75 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $717,920.05 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $732,384.25 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $747,551.31 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $771,559.67 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $791,646.78 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $804,261.34 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $819,058.47 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $837,369.93 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $862,710.02 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $880,392.60 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $909,214.09 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $943,475.38 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $932,197.74 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $944,961.75 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $970,769.81 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $985,510.35 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $996,787.61 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $1,014,200.51 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $1,011,202.24 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $1,017,902.76 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $1,037,033.60 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $1,055,211.52 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $1,070,634.94 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $1,082,585.48 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $1,128,247.96 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $1,213,466.15 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $1,253,833.10 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $1,297,227.92 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $1,335,117.66 | 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 |