According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,637.60% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $147,384,257,756.56 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.02% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $9,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $156,384,257,756.56 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% 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 1930-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.67%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $9,000,000,000 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 | $9,000,000,000.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $8,226,730,310.26 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $7,260,143,198.09 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $6,512,649,164.68 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $6,555,608,591.89 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,839,140,811.46 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,976,610,978.52 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $7,264,439,140.81 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $7,212,887,828.16 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $7,071,121,718.38 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $7,109,785,202.86 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $7,483,532,219.57 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $8,226,730,310.26 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $8,686,396,181.38 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $8,819,570,405.73 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $9,008,591,885.44 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $9,811,933,174.22 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $11,397,136,038.19 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $12,389,498,806.68 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $12,376,610,978.52 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $12,501,193,317.42 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $13,484,964,200.48 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $13,777,088,305.49 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $13,897,374,701.67 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $14,103,579,952.27 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $14,198,090,692.12 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $14,395,704,057.28 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $14,863,961,813.84 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $15,315,035,799.52 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $15,439,618,138.42 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $15,654,415,274.46 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $15,731,742,243.44 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $15,894,988,066.83 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $16,053,937,947.49 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $16,118,377,088.31 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $16,333,174,224.34 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $16,822,911,694.51 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $17,261,097,852.03 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $17,991,408,114.56 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $18,975,178,997.61 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $20,062,052,505.97 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $20,852,505,966.59 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $21,445,346,062.05 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $22,789,976,133.65 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $25,200,000,000.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $27,189,021,479.71 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $28,490,692,124.11 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $30,282,100,238.66 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $32,915,513,126.49 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $37,022,434,367.54 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $42,362,291,169.45 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $46,417,661,097.85 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $49,583,770,883.05 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $51,559,904,534.61 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $53,505,966,587.11 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $55,525,059,665.87 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $56,684,964,200.48 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $59,021,957,040.57 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $61,328,878,281.62 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $64,430,548,926.01 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $67,893,078,758.95 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $70,646,778,042.96 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $72,717,422,434.37 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $74,959,904,534.61 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $76,600,954,653.94 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $79,036,754,176.61 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $81,150,357,995.23 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $83,371,360,381.86 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $85,051,073,985.68 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $86,812,410,501.19 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $89,600,477,326.97 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $91,933,174,224.34 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $93,398,090,692.12 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $95,116,467,780.43 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $97,242,959,427.21 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $100,185,680,190.93 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $102,239,140,811.46 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $105,586,152,744.63 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $109,564,883,054.89 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $108,255,221,957.04 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $109,737,494,033.41 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $112,734,558,472.55 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $114,446,362,768.50 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $115,755,980,906.92 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $117,778,124,105.01 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $117,429,937,947.49 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $118,208,062,052.51 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $120,429,708,830.55 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $122,540,692,124.11 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $124,331,799,522.67 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $125,719,603,818.62 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $131,022,343,675.42 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $140,918,649,164.68 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $145,606,424,821.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $150,645,823,389.02 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $155,428,281,622.91 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $156,384,257,756.56 | 0.62%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| 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 | 301.502 | 303.356 |