According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,167.04% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $465,795,066.97 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $21,494,550 in Chicago in the year 1935 would cost $487,289,616.97 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1935: Pricing changed by 4.33%, which is above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1935-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1935 (2.53%), inflation in Chicago was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $21,494,550 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $21,494,550.00 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $21,926,601.26 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $22,831,208.57 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $22,669,189.35 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $22,223,636.49 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $22,345,150.91 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $23,519,790.26 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $25,855,567.37 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $27,300,238.76 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $27,718,788.41 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $28,312,858.89 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $30,837,658.42 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $35,819,749.47 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $38,938,619.47 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $38,898,114.67 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $39,289,661.12 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $42,381,527.92 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $43,299,636.84 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $43,677,681.69 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $44,325,758.57 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $44,622,793.81 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $45,243,867.49 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $46,715,542.09 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $48,133,210.27 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $48,524,756.72 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $49,199,836.81 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $49,442,865.64 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $49,955,926.51 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $50,455,485.77 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $50,658,009.80 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $51,333,089.89 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $52,872,272.49 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $54,249,435.87 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $56,544,708.17 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $59,636,574.97 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $63,052,480.21 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $65,536,774.94 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $67,399,995.98 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $71,625,997.33 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $79,200,395.92 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $85,451,637.53 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $89,542,622.86 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $95,172,790.80 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $103,449,272.68 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $116,356,803.96 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $133,139,294.94 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $145,884,807.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $155,835,487.50 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $162,046,224.31 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $168,162,449.91 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $174,508,202.73 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $178,153,635.21 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $185,498,506.56 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $192,748,866.71 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $202,497,023.18 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $213,379,314.20 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $222,033,840.92 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $228,541,612.97 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $235,589,449.09 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $240,747,060.96 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $248,402,469.16 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $255,045,257.22 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $262,025,585.33 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $267,304,711.62 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $272,840,368.34 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $281,602,907.88 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $288,934,277.64 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $293,538,323.84 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $298,938,964.54 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $305,622,257.41 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $314,870,854.62 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $321,324,620.26 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $331,843,853.20 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $344,348,496.69 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $340,232,398.38 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $344,890,991.05 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $354,310,383.51 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $359,690,366.77 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $363,806,330.06 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $370,161,669.03 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $369,067,364.20 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $371,512,909.33 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $378,495,262.68 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $385,129,814.77 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $390,759,037.59 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $395,120,730.04 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $411,786,567.19 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $442,889,397.06 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $457,622,479.92 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $473,460,668.88 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $487,289,616.97 | 2.92%* |
* 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 |
| 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 | 300.760 |