According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 1,594.41% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $952,183,232,752.33 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Boston experienced an average inflation rate of 2.71% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $59,720,000,000 in Boston in the year 1920 would cost $1,011,903,232,752.33 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% during this same period, inflation in Boston was higher.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 17.25%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Boston during the 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation in Boston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Boston, over time, for $59,720,000,000 beginning in 1920. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | $59,720,000,000.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $54,370,133,765.71 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $49,552,833,400.89 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $50,303,267,126.06 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $50,642,172,679.37 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $51,198,946,088.37 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $53,087,134,171.06 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $52,530,360,762.06 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $51,513,644,102.15 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $51,271,568,706.93 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $50,908,455,614.11 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $46,962,626,672.07 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $42,338,986,623.43 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $39,530,912,038.91 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $40,765,496,554.52 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $41,612,760,437.78 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $41,854,835,833.00 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $42,798,929,874.34 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $41,709,590,595.87 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $41,080,194,568.30 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $41,467,515,200.65 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $43,307,288,204.30 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $47,930,928,252.94 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $50,448,512,363.19 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $51,005,285,772.19 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $52,046,209,971.63 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $56,306,736,927.44 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $64,101,564,653.43 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $69,378,808,269.15 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $68,531,544,385.89 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $69,427,223,348.20 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $74,075,070,936.36 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $75,696,976,084.31 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $75,890,636,400.49 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $76,181,126,874.75 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $76,544,239,967.57 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $78,650,295,905.96 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $81,409,955,411.43 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $84,024,369,679.77 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $84,677,973,246.86 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $86,275,670,855.29 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $87,582,877,989.46 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $89,471,066,072.15 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $91,286,631,536.28 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $92,521,216,051.88 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $94,264,158,897.45 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $97,169,063,640.05 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $99,710,855,289.83 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $103,632,476,692.34 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $109,369,663,558.98 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $116,050,944,466.96 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $122,223,867,044.99 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $126,581,224,158.90 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $133,625,618,159.71 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $147,423,915,687.07 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $160,713,854,884.48 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $173,785,926,226.19 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $182,645,885,691.12 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $192,401,524,118.36 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $211,767,555,735.71 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $238,637,924,604.78 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $265,750,368,869.07 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $277,127,912,444.26 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $289,376,927,442.24 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $303,610,960,680.99 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $317,070,352,655.05 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $325,736,651,803.81 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $339,631,779,489.26 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $359,578,792,055.13 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $380,542,521,280.91 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $402,571,382,245.64 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $420,823,867,044.99 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $431,087,863,802.19 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $443,917,859,748.68 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $449,534,008,917.71 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $460,330,571,544.39 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $473,789,963,518.44 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $487,443,015,808.67 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $498,433,238,751.52 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $510,488,593,433.32 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $532,372,209,160.92 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $555,950,352,655.05 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $570,135,970,814.75 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $591,244,945,277.67 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $608,190,222,942.85 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $627,459,424,402.11 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $647,503,267,126.06 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $659,691,279,124.44 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $683,881,873,368.46 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $678,321,885,691.12 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $689,452,028,212.40 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $707,717,585,083.10 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $719,148,869,396.03 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $729,151,908,877.18 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $741,113,822,456.42 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $745,813,474,179.16 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $756,094,416,214.03 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $775,380,078,800.16 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $800,390,824,483.18 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $816,461,241,670.04 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $825,250,999,270.37 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $850,769,134,981.76 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $912,075,212,971.22 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $946,180,247,101.74 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $976,459,521,686.26 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $1,006,730,565,707.34 | 3.10% |
| 2026 | $1,011,903,232,752.33 | 0.51%* |
* 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 Boston, Massachusetts:
| 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 10.500 | 10.517 | 10.817 | 12.275 | 14.458 | 17.533 | 20.558 | 18.717 | 17.058 | 17.317 | 17.433 | 17.625 | 18.275 | 18.083 | 17.733 | 17.650 | 17.525 | 16.167 | 14.575 | 13.608 | 14.033 | 14.325 | 14.408 | 14.733 | 14.358 | 14.142 | 14.275 | 14.908 | 16.500 | 17.367 | 17.558 | 17.917 | 19.383 | 22.067 | 23.883 | 23.592 | 23.900 | 25.500 | 26.058 | 26.125 | 26.225 | 26.350 | 27.075 | 28.025 | 28.925 | 29.150 | 29.700 | 30.150 | 30.800 | 31.425 | 31.850 | 32.450 | 33.450 | 34.325 | 35.675 | 37.650 | 39.950 | 42.075 | 43.575 | 46.000 | 50.750 | 55.325 | 59.825 | 62.875 | 66.233 | 72.900 | 82.150 | 91.483 | 95.400 | 99.617 | 104.517 | 109.150 | 112.133 | 116.917 | 123.783 | 131.000 | 138.583 | 144.867 | 148.400 | 152.817 | 154.750 | 158.467 | 163.100 | 167.800 | 171.583 | 175.733 | 183.267 | 191.383 | 196.267 | 203.533 | 209.367 | 216.000 | 222.900 | 227.096 | 235.423 | 233.509 | 237.341 | 243.629 | 247.564 | 251.007 | 255.125 | 256.743 | 260.282 | 266.921 | 275.531 | 281.063 | 284.089 | 292.873 | 313.978 | 325.718 | 336.142 | 346.562 | 348.343 |