According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,152.73% higher in 2025 versus 1949 (a $3,112,379.78 difference in value).
Between 1949 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.38% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $270,000 in Chicago in the year 1949 would cost $3,382,379.78 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1949: Pricing changed by -0.10%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1949-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1949 (-0.99%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $270,000 beginning in 1949. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | $270,000.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $272,717.81 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $294,179.10 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $300,551.89 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $303,175.98 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $307,674.42 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $309,736.20 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $314,047.21 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $324,262.41 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $334,102.74 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $336,820.55 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $341,506.42 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $343,193.34 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $346,754.60 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $350,222.15 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $351,627.91 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $356,313.78 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $366,997.57 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $376,556.75 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $392,488.72 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $413,950.02 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $437,660.53 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $454,904.55 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $467,837.56 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $497,171.12 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $549,746.62 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $593,137.80 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $621,534.19 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $660,614.37 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $718,063.17 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $807,657.06 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $924,147.87 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $1,012,617.15 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $1,081,686.91 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $1,124,796.95 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $1,167,250.95 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $1,211,298.16 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $1,236,601.87 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $1,287,584.17 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $1,337,910.45 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $1,405,574.45 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $1,481,110.73 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $1,541,183.62 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $1,586,355.43 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $1,635,275.95 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $1,671,076.02 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $1,724,213.81 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $1,770,322.80 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $1,818,774.73 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $1,855,418.26 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $1,893,842.42 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $1,954,665.05 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $2,005,553.63 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $2,037,511.28 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $2,074,998.26 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $2,121,388.41 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $2,185,584.87 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $2,230,381.81 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $2,303,398.02 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $2,390,195.38 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $2,361,624.68 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $2,393,960.95 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $2,459,342.94 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $2,496,686.53 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $2,525,256.30 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $2,569,370.05 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $2,561,774.25 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $2,578,749.29 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $2,627,215.27 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $2,673,267.09 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $2,712,340.72 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $2,742,616.14 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $2,858,297.22 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $3,074,188.51 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $3,176,453.94 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $3,286,390.14 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $3,382,379.78 | 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 |