According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,428.24% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $420,189,482.62 difference in value).
Between 1920 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 2.61% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $29,420,000 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $449,609,482.62 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.67% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1920: Pricing changed by 19.10%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1920-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1920 (15.63%), inflation in Chicago was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $29,420,000 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 | $29,420,000.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $26,937,455.92 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $25,442,989.08 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $25,751,763.22 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $26,258,152.81 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $26,838,648.19 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $27,307,984.89 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $27,060,965.58 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $26,221,099.92 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $26,159,345.09 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $25,875,272.88 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $23,652,099.08 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $20,873,131.82 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $18,724,063.81 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $18,847,573.47 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $19,662,737.20 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $20,057,968.09 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $20,885,482.79 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $20,737,271.20 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $20,329,689.34 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $20,440,848.03 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $21,515,382.03 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $23,652,099.08 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $24,973,652.39 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $25,356,532.33 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $25,899,974.81 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $28,209,605.37 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $32,767,111.67 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $35,620,184.72 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $35,583,131.82 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $35,941,309.82 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $38,769,680.94 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $39,609,546.60 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $39,955,373.64 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $40,548,219.98 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $40,819,941.23 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $41,388,085.64 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $42,734,340.89 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $44,031,192.28 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $44,389,370.28 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $45,006,918.56 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $45,229,235.94 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $45,698,572.63 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $46,155,558.35 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $46,340,822.84 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $46,958,371.12 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $48,366,381.19 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $49,626,179.68 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $51,725,843.83 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $54,554,214.95 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $57,679,009.24 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $59,951,586.90 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $61,656,020.15 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $65,521,872.38 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $72,450,764.06 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $78,169,261.13 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $81,911,603.69 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $87,061,956.34 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $94,633,098.24 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $106,440,621.33 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $121,792,871.54 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $133,452,183.04 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $142,554,844.67 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $148,236,288.83 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $153,831,276.24 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $159,636,230.06 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $162,970,990.76 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $169,689,916.04 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $176,322,384.55 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $185,239,781.70 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $195,194,659.95 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $203,111,628.88 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $209,064,794.29 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $215,511,998.32 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $220,230,067.17 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $227,233,064.65 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $233,309,739.71 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $239,695,188.92 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $244,524,416.46 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $249,588,312.34 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $257,604,089.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $264,310,663.31 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $268,522,342.57 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $273,462,728.80 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $279,576,456.76 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $288,036,868.18 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $293,940,629.72 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $303,563,390.51 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $315,002,360.79 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $311,237,045.42 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $315,498,622.59 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $324,115,273.72 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $329,036,762.97 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $332,801,954.83 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $338,615,677.83 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $337,614,632.07 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $339,851,762.47 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $346,239,064.32 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $352,308,205.29 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $357,457,693.37 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $361,447,672.80 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $376,693,210.66 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $405,145,389.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $418,622,886.15 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $433,111,309.82 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $446,861,022.25 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $449,609,482.62 | 0.62%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| 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 | 301.502 | 303.356 |