According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,167.04% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $3,088,029.15 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $142,500 in Chicago in the year 1935 would cost $3,230,529.15 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 4.33%, which is above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1935-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.53%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $142,500 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $142,500.00 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $145,364.32 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $151,361.49 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $150,287.37 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $147,333.54 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $148,139.13 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $155,926.51 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $171,411.75 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $180,989.32 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $183,764.13 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $187,702.58 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $204,440.95 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $237,470.16 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $258,146.98 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $257,878.45 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $260,474.25 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $280,972.05 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $287,058.73 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $289,565.01 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $293,861.49 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $295,830.72 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $299,948.18 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $309,704.77 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $319,103.33 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $321,699.12 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $326,174.62 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $327,785.80 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $331,187.19 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $334,499.06 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $335,841.71 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $340,317.21 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $350,521.36 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $359,651.38 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $374,868.09 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $395,365.89 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $418,011.93 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $434,481.78 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $446,834.17 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $474,850.82 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $525,065.95 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $566,509.11 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $593,630.65 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $630,956.34 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $685,826.01 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $771,397.61 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $882,658.61 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $967,156.09 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $1,033,125.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $1,074,299.62 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $1,114,847.68 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $1,156,917.40 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $1,181,085.11 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $1,229,778.58 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $1,277,845.48 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $1,342,471.73 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $1,414,616.83 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $1,471,992.78 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $1,515,136.62 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $1,561,860.87 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $1,596,053.71 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $1,646,805.90 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $1,690,844.85 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $1,737,121.55 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $1,772,119.97 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $1,808,819.10 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $1,866,911.12 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $1,915,515.08 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $1,946,038.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $1,981,842.02 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $2,026,149.50 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $2,087,463.88 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $2,130,249.69 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $2,199,987.86 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $2,282,888.49 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $2,255,600.46 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $2,286,485.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $2,348,931.69 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $2,384,598.76 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $2,411,885.90 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $2,454,019.17 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $2,446,764.38 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $2,462,977.34 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $2,509,267.46 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $2,553,251.81 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $2,590,571.23 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $2,619,487.45 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $2,729,975.08 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $2,936,174.01 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $3,033,848.27 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $3,138,848.93 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $3,230,529.15 | 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 |