According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Houston, Texas are 1,995.68% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $498,920,841,209.83 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Houston experienced an average inflation rate of 3.64% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $25,000,000,000 in Houston in the year 1940 would cost $523,920,841,209.83 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation in Houston was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.25%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Houston during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in Houston was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Houston, over time, for $25,000,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $25,000,000,000.00 | 0.25% |
| 1941 | $26,086,956,521.74 | 4.35% |
| 1942 | $28,812,224,322.62 | 10.45% |
| 1943 | $30,340,264,650.28 | 5.30% |
| 1944 | $30,623,818,525.52 | 0.93% |
| 1945 | $31,269,691,241.34 | 2.11% |
| 1946 | $33,742,911,153.12 | 7.91% |
| 1947 | $39,666,036,546.94 | 17.55% |
| 1948 | $42,974,165,091.37 | 8.34% |
| 1949 | $42,848,141,146.82 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | $44,139,886,578.45 | 3.01% |
| 1951 | $47,668,557,025.83 | 7.99% |
| 1952 | $48,251,417,769.38 | 1.22% |
| 1953 | $48,755,513,547.57 | 1.04% |
| 1954 | $48,834,278,512.92 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $48,393,194,706.99 | -0.90% |
| 1956 | $49,133,585,381.22 | 1.53% |
| 1957 | $50,756,143,667.30 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $51,638,311,279.14 | 1.74% |
| 1959 | $52,000,630,119.72 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | $52,599,243,856.33 | 1.15% |
| 1961 | $52,788,279,773.16 | 0.36% |
| 1962 | $53,843,730,308.76 | 2.00% |
| 1963 | $54,300,567,107.75 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | $55,135,475,740.39 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $55,797,101,449.28 | 1.20% |
| 1966 | $57,277,882,797.73 | 2.65% |
| 1967 | $58,790,170,132.33 | 2.64% |
| 1968 | $61,153,119,092.63 | 4.02% |
| 1969 | $65,122,873,345.94 | 6.49% |
| 1970 | $68,572,778,827.98 | 5.30% |
| 1971 | $71,124,763,705.10 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | $73,582,230,623.82 | 3.46% |
| 1973 | $77,457,466,918.71 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $86,105,860,113.42 | 11.17% |
| 1975 | $96,597,353,497.16 | 12.18% |
| 1976 | $103,922,495,274.10 | 7.58% |
| 1977 | $111,436,672,967.86 | 7.23% |
| 1978 | $121,959,672,337.74 | 9.44% |
| 1979 | $138,153,749,212.35 | 13.28% |
| 1980 | $155,765,595,463.14 | 12.75% |
| 1981 | $171,345,305,608.07 | 10.00% |
| 1982 | $183,648,393,194.71 | 7.18% |
| 1983 | $188,878,386,893.51 | 2.85% |
| 1984 | $193,809,073,724.01 | 2.61% |
| 1985 | $198,156,899,810.96 | 2.24% |
| 1986 | $196,565,847,511.03 | -0.80% |
| 1987 | $200,960,932,577.19 | 2.24% |
| 1988 | $206,773,787,019.53 | 2.89% |
| 1989 | $215,343,415,248.90 | 4.14% |
| 1990 | $227,299,936,988.03 | 5.55% |
| 1991 | $236,231,884,057.97 | 3.93% |
| 1992 | $243,840,579,710.14 | 3.22% |
| 1993 | $251,701,323,251.42 | 3.22% |
| 1994 | $260,507,246,376.81 | 3.50% |
| 1995 | $264,098,928,796.47 | 1.38% |
| 1996 | $269,580,970,384.37 | 2.08% |
| 1997 | $274,669,187,145.56 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | $277,425,960,932.58 | 1.00% |
| 1999 | $280,875,866,414.62 | 1.24% |
| 2000 | $291,036,546,943.92 | 3.62% |
| 2001 | $300,047,258,979.21 | 3.10% |
| 2002 | $300,834,908,632.64 | 0.26% |
| 2003 | $309,120,982,986.77 | 2.75% |
| 2004 | $319,927,536,231.88 | 3.50% |
| 2005 | $331,474,480,151.23 | 3.61% |
| 2006 | $341,304,347,826.09 | 2.97% |
| 2007 | $346,966,288,594.83 | 1.66% |
| 2008 | $359,136,105,860.11 | 3.51% |
| 2009 | $359,711,405,166.98 | 0.16% |
| 2010 | $366,776,149,968.49 | 1.96% |
| 2011 | $378,537,492,123.50 | 3.21% |
| 2012 | $385,879,962,192.82 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | $391,812,381,852.55 | 1.54% |
| 2014 | $403,152,646,502.84 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | $402,769,848,771.27 | -0.09% |
| 2016 | $408,775,047,258.98 | 1.49% |
| 2017 | $417,091,682,419.66 | 2.03% |
| 2018 | $427,113,894,139.89 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | $432,421,550,094.52 | 1.24% |
| 2020 | $432,851,764,335.22 | 0.10% |
| 2021 | $450,935,570,258.35 | 4.18% |
| 2022 | $488,232,671,707.62 | 8.27% |
| 2023 | $505,595,935,727.79 | 3.56% |
| 2024 | $518,276,149,968.49 | 2.51% |
| 2025 | $523,920,841,209.83 | 1.09%* |
* 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 Houston, Texas:
| 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 | 9.500 | 9.500 | 9.617 | 11.092 | 13.425 | 16.367 | 19.133 | 17.450 | 15.908 | 15.892 | 15.842 | 16.083 | 16.167 | 15.833 | 15.633 | 15.617 | 15.508 | 14.142 | 12.708 | 11.683 | 12.225 | 12.692 | 12.833 | 13.317 | 13.308 | 13.192 | 13.225 | 13.800 | 15.242 | 16.050 | 16.200 | 16.542 | 17.850 | 20.983 | 22.733 | 22.667 | 23.350 | 25.217 | 25.525 | 25.792 | 25.833 | 25.600 | 25.992 | 26.850 | 27.317 | 27.508 | 27.825 | 27.925 | 28.483 | 28.725 | 29.167 | 29.517 | 30.300 | 31.100 | 32.350 | 34.450 | 36.275 | 37.625 | 38.925 | 40.975 | 45.550 | 51.100 | 54.975 | 58.950 | 64.517 | 73.083 | 82.400 | 90.642 | 97.150 | 99.917 | 102.525 | 104.825 | 103.983 | 106.308 | 109.383 | 113.917 | 120.242 | 124.967 | 128.992 | 133.150 | 137.808 | 139.708 | 142.608 | 145.300 | 146.758 | 148.583 | 153.958 | 158.725 | 159.142 | 163.525 | 169.242 | 175.350 | 180.550 | 183.545 | 189.983 | 190.287 | 194.025 | 200.246 | 204.130 | 207.269 | 213.268 | 213.065 | 216.242 | 220.641 | 225.943 | 228.751 | 228.979 | 238.545 | 258.275 | 267.460 | 274.168 | 277.154 |