According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,428.24% higher in 2026 versus 1920 (a $125,949,726.46 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, $8,818,500 in Chicago in the year 1920 would cost $134,768,226.46 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 $8,818,500 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 | $8,818,500.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $8,074,369.65 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $7,626,410.58 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $7,718,964.11 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $7,870,751.89 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $8,044,752.52 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $8,185,433.88 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $8,111,391.06 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $7,859,645.47 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $7,841,134.76 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $7,755,985.52 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $7,089,600.13 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $6,256,618.39 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $5,612,445.84 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $5,649,467.25 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $5,893,808.56 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,012,277.08 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $6,260,320.53 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $6,215,894.84 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,093,724.18 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,127,043.45 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $6,449,129.72 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $7,089,600.13 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $7,485,729.22 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $7,600,495.59 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $7,763,389.80 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $8,455,690.18 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $9,821,780.23 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $10,676,974.81 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $10,665,868.39 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $10,773,230.48 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $11,621,020.78 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $11,872,766.37 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $11,976,426.32 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $12,154,129.09 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $12,235,576.20 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $12,405,874.69 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $12,809,408.06 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $13,198,132.87 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $13,305,494.96 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $13,490,602.02 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $13,557,240.55 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $13,697,921.91 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $13,834,901.13 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $13,890,433.25 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $14,075,540.30 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $14,497,584.38 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $14,875,202.77 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $15,504,566.75 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $16,352,357.05 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $17,288,998.74 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $17,970,192.70 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $18,481,088.16 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $19,639,858.31 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $21,716,759.45 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $23,430,850.76 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $24,552,599.50 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $26,096,392.32 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $28,365,804.79 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $31,905,051.64 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $36,506,812.97 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $40,001,634.13 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $42,730,112.09 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $44,433,096.98 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $46,110,166.88 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $47,850,173.17 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $48,849,751.26 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $50,863,715.99 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $52,851,765.74 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $55,524,711.59 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $58,508,637.28 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $60,881,709.70 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $62,666,141.69 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $64,598,659.32 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $66,012,877.20 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $68,111,991.18 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $69,933,444.58 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $71,847,451.51 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $73,294,988.66 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $74,812,866.50 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $77,215,556.05 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $79,225,818.64 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $80,488,248.74 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $81,969,105.16 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $83,801,664.99 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $86,337,631.61 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $88,107,255.04 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $90,991,630.16 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $94,420,405.12 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $93,291,770.40 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $94,569,157.15 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $97,151,955.86 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $98,627,148.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $99,755,745.71 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $101,498,380.52 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $101,198,321.99 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $101,868,890.80 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $103,783,453.05 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $105,602,648.14 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $107,146,181.81 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $108,342,158.48 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $112,911,933.32 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $121,440,333.55 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $125,480,146.89 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $129,822,980.48 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $133,944,389.01 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $134,768,226.46 | 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 |