According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,049.57% higher in 2025 versus 1938 (a $20,290,722.19 difference in value).
Between 1938 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.59% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $990,000 in Chicago in the year 1938 would cost $21,280,722.19 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.66% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1938: Pricing changed by -0.71%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1938-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1938 (-2.03%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $990,000 beginning in 1938. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | $990,000.00 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $970,541.99 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $975,848.72 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $1,027,147.11 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $1,129,154.26 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $1,192,245.38 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $1,210,524.12 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $1,236,468.14 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $1,346,730.20 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,564,306.13 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,700,512.21 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,698,743.30 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,715,842.76 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,850,869.57 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,890,964.86 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,907,474.69 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,935,777.25 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,948,749.26 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,975,872.54 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $2,040,142.94 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $2,102,054.79 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $2,119,154.26 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $2,148,636.09 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $2,159,249.55 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $2,181,655.75 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $2,203,472.30 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $2,212,316.86 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $2,241,798.69 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $2,309,017.27 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $2,369,160.21 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $2,469,398.45 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $2,604,425.25 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $2,753,603.34 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,862,096.49 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,943,466.35 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $3,128,022.63 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $3,458,808.81 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $3,731,810.60 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $3,910,470.52 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $4,156,349.02 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $4,517,796.31 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $5,081,488.98 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $5,814,407.39 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $6,371,024.42 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $6,805,586.66 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $7,076,819.54 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $7,343,924.96 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $7,621,054.20 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $7,780,256.10 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $8,101,018.46 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $8,417,653.37 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $8,843,371.05 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $9,318,618.23 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $9,696,575.34 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $9,980,780.23 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $10,288,570.58 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $10,513,811.79 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $10,848,135.80 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $11,138,237.05 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $11,443,079.21 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $11,673,627.16 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $11,915,378.20 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $12,298,052.41 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $12,618,225.13 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $12,819,291.24 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $13,055,145.92 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $13,347,016.08 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $13,750,917.21 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $14,032,763.55 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $14,492,155.39 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $15,038,253.31 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $14,858,496.66 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $15,061,944.91 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $15,473,304.94 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $15,708,257.47 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $15,888,008.22 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $16,165,556.10 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $16,117,766.05 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $16,224,566.94 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $16,529,497.56 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $16,819,239.13 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $17,065,076.35 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $17,255,558.49 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $17,983,382.43 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $19,341,693.09 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $19,985,110.54 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $20,676,789.76 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $21,280,722.19 | 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 |