According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Houston, Texas are 1,995.68% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $51,887,767,485.82 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, $2,600,000,000 in Houston in the year 1940 would cost $54,487,767,485.82 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 $2,600,000,000 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 | $2,600,000,000.00 | 0.25% |
| 1941 | $2,713,043,478.26 | 4.35% |
| 1942 | $2,996,471,329.55 | 10.45% |
| 1943 | $3,155,387,523.63 | 5.30% |
| 1944 | $3,184,877,126.65 | 0.93% |
| 1945 | $3,252,047,889.10 | 2.11% |
| 1946 | $3,509,262,759.92 | 7.91% |
| 1947 | $4,125,267,800.88 | 17.55% |
| 1948 | $4,469,313,169.50 | 8.34% |
| 1949 | $4,456,206,679.27 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | $4,590,548,204.16 | 3.01% |
| 1951 | $4,957,529,930.69 | 7.99% |
| 1952 | $5,018,147,448.02 | 1.22% |
| 1953 | $5,070,573,408.95 | 1.04% |
| 1954 | $5,078,764,965.34 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $5,032,892,249.53 | -0.90% |
| 1956 | $5,109,892,879.65 | 1.53% |
| 1957 | $5,278,638,941.40 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $5,370,384,373.03 | 1.74% |
| 1959 | $5,408,065,532.45 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | $5,470,321,361.06 | 1.15% |
| 1961 | $5,489,981,096.41 | 0.36% |
| 1962 | $5,599,747,952.11 | 2.00% |
| 1963 | $5,647,258,979.21 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | $5,734,089,477.00 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $5,802,898,550.72 | 1.20% |
| 1966 | $5,956,899,810.96 | 2.65% |
| 1967 | $6,114,177,693.76 | 2.64% |
| 1968 | $6,359,924,385.63 | 4.02% |
| 1969 | $6,772,778,827.98 | 6.49% |
| 1970 | $7,131,568,998.11 | 5.30% |
| 1971 | $7,396,975,425.33 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | $7,652,551,984.88 | 3.46% |
| 1973 | $8,055,576,559.55 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $8,955,009,451.80 | 11.17% |
| 1975 | $10,046,124,763.71 | 12.18% |
| 1976 | $10,807,939,508.51 | 7.58% |
| 1977 | $11,589,413,988.66 | 7.23% |
| 1978 | $12,683,805,923.13 | 9.44% |
| 1979 | $14,367,989,918.08 | 13.28% |
| 1980 | $16,199,621,928.17 | 12.75% |
| 1981 | $17,819,911,783.24 | 10.00% |
| 1982 | $19,099,432,892.25 | 7.18% |
| 1983 | $19,643,352,236.93 | 2.85% |
| 1984 | $20,156,143,667.30 | 2.61% |
| 1985 | $20,608,317,580.34 | 2.24% |
| 1986 | $20,442,848,141.15 | -0.80% |
| 1987 | $20,899,936,988.03 | 2.24% |
| 1988 | $21,504,473,850.03 | 2.89% |
| 1989 | $22,395,715,185.89 | 4.14% |
| 1990 | $23,639,193,446.75 | 5.55% |
| 1991 | $24,568,115,942.03 | 3.93% |
| 1992 | $25,359,420,289.86 | 3.22% |
| 1993 | $26,176,937,618.15 | 3.22% |
| 1994 | $27,092,753,623.19 | 3.50% |
| 1995 | $27,466,288,594.83 | 1.38% |
| 1996 | $28,036,420,919.97 | 2.08% |
| 1997 | $28,565,595,463.14 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | $28,852,299,936.99 | 1.00% |
| 1999 | $29,211,090,107.12 | 1.24% |
| 2000 | $30,267,800,882.17 | 3.62% |
| 2001 | $31,204,914,933.84 | 3.10% |
| 2002 | $31,286,830,497.79 | 0.26% |
| 2003 | $32,148,582,230.62 | 2.75% |
| 2004 | $33,272,463,768.12 | 3.50% |
| 2005 | $34,473,345,935.73 | 3.61% |
| 2006 | $35,495,652,173.91 | 2.97% |
| 2007 | $36,084,494,013.86 | 1.66% |
| 2008 | $37,350,155,009.45 | 3.51% |
| 2009 | $37,409,986,137.37 | 0.16% |
| 2010 | $38,144,719,596.72 | 1.96% |
| 2011 | $39,367,899,180.84 | 3.21% |
| 2012 | $40,131,516,068.05 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | $40,748,487,712.67 | 1.54% |
| 2014 | $41,927,875,236.29 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | $41,888,064,272.21 | -0.09% |
| 2016 | $42,512,604,914.93 | 1.49% |
| 2017 | $43,377,534,971.64 | 2.03% |
| 2018 | $44,419,844,990.55 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | $44,971,841,209.83 | 1.24% |
| 2020 | $45,016,583,490.86 | 0.10% |
| 2021 | $46,897,299,306.87 | 4.18% |
| 2022 | $50,776,197,857.59 | 8.27% |
| 2023 | $52,581,977,315.69 | 3.56% |
| 2024 | $53,900,719,596.72 | 2.51% |
| 2025 | $54,487,767,485.82 | 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 |