According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,637.60% higher in 2026 versus 1930 (a $138,868,722.86 difference in value).
Between 1930 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.02% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $8,480,000 in Chicago in the year 1930 would cost $147,348,722.86 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.14% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1930: Pricing changed by -1.09%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1930-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1930 (-2.67%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $8,480,000 beginning in 1930. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | $8,480,000.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $7,751,408.11 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $6,840,668.26 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $6,136,362.77 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $6,176,840.10 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $6,443,990.45 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $6,573,517.90 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $6,844,715.99 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $6,796,143.20 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $6,662,568.02 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $6,698,997.61 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $7,051,150.36 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $7,751,408.11 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $8,184,515.51 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $8,309,995.23 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $8,488,095.47 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $9,245,021.48 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $10,738,634.84 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $11,673,661.10 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $11,661,517.90 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $11,778,902.15 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $12,705,832.94 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $12,981,078.76 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $13,094,415.27 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $13,288,706.44 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $13,377,756.56 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $13,563,952.27 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $14,005,155.13 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $14,430,167.06 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $14,547,551.31 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $14,749,937.95 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $14,822,797.14 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $14,976,610.98 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $15,126,377.09 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $15,187,093.08 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $15,389,479.71 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $15,850,921.24 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $16,263,789.98 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $16,951,904.53 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $17,878,835.32 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $18,902,911.69 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $19,647,694.51 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $20,206,281.62 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $21,473,221.96 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $23,744,000.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $25,618,100.24 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $26,844,563.25 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $28,532,467.78 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $31,013,727.92 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $34,883,360.38 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $39,914,692.12 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $43,735,751.79 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $46,718,930.79 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $48,580,887.83 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $50,414,510.74 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $52,316,945.11 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $53,409,832.94 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $55,611,799.52 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $57,785,431.98 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $60,707,894.99 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $63,970,367.54 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $66,564,964.20 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $68,515,971.36 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $70,628,887.83 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $72,175,121.72 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $74,470,186.16 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $76,461,670.64 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $78,554,348.45 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $80,137,011.93 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $81,796,582.34 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $84,423,560.86 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $86,621,479.71 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $88,001,756.56 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $89,620,849.64 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $91,624,477.33 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $94,397,174.22 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $96,331,990.45 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $99,485,619.47 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $103,234,467.59 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $102,000,475.80 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $103,397,105.49 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $106,221,006.21 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $107,833,906.25 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $109,067,857.57 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $110,973,165.82 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $110,645,097.09 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $111,378,262.91 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $113,471,547.88 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $115,460,563.25 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $117,148,184.44 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $118,455,804.49 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $123,452,163.82 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $132,776,682.77 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $137,193,609.16 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $141,941,842.48 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $146,447,980.91 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $147,348,722.86 | 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 |