According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,099.56% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $335,930,199,395,770,432 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.66% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $16,000,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1940 would cost $351,930,199,395,770,432 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.55%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $16,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $16,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $16,841,087,613,293,050.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $18,513,595,166,163,144.00 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $19,548,036,253,776,432.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $19,847,734,138,972,812.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $20,273,111,782,477,344.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $22,080,966,767,371,604.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $25,648,338,368,580,064.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $27,881,570,996,978,852.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $27,852,567,975,830,820.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $28,132,930,513,595,172.00 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $30,346,827,794,561,932.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $31,004,229,607,250,748.00 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $31,274,924,471,299,092.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $31,738,972,809,667,680.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $31,951,661,631,419,944.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $32,396,374,622,356,496.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $33,450,151,057,401,808.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $34,465,256,797,583,080.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $34,745,619,335,347,432.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $35,229,003,021,148,036.00 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $35,403,021,148,036,248.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $35,770,392,749,244,708.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $36,128,096,676,737,160.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $36,273,111,782,477,336.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $36,756,495,468,277,944.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $37,858,610,271,903,320.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $38,844,712,990,936,560.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $40,488,217,522,658,616.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $42,702,114,803,625,376.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $45,148,036,253,776,432.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $46,926,888,217,522,648.00 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $48,261,027,190,332,336.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $51,287,009,063,444,112.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $56,710,574,018,126,896.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $61,186,706,948,640,480.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $64,116,012,084,592,152.00 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $68,147,432,024,169,176.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $74,073,716,012,084,592.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $83,316,012,084,592,144.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $95,332,930,513,595,168.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $104,459,214,501,510,592.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $111,584,290,030,211,504.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $116,031,419,939,577,056.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $120,410,876,132,930,544.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $124,954,682,779,456,208.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $127,564,954,682,779,456.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $132,824,169,184,290,064.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $138,015,709,969,788,512.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $144,995,770,392,749,248.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $152,787,915,407,855,008.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $158,984,894,259,818,720.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $163,644,712,990,936,576.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $168,691,238,670,694,880.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $172,384,290,030,211,488.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $177,865,861,027,190,336.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $182,622,356,495,468,288.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $187,620,543,806,646,528.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $191,400,604,229,607,232.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $195,364,350,453,172,224.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $201,638,670,694,864,032.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $206,888,217,522,658,624.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $210,184,894,259,818,688.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $214,051,963,746,223,552.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $218,837,462,235,649,568.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $225,459,818,731,117,824.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $230,080,966,767,371,648.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $237,613,148,036,253,824.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $246,566,960,725,075,552.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $243,619,673,716,012,064.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $246,955,407,854,984,896.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $253,700,060,422,960,736.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $257,552,338,368,580,032.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $260,499,528,700,906,336.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $265,050,199,395,770,400.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $264,266,634,441,087,584.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $266,017,740,181,268,896.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $271,017,377,643,504,608.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $275,767,975,830,815,648.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $279,798,719,033,232,640.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $282,921,861,027,190,336.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $294,855,250,755,287,040.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $317,126,090,634,441,088.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $327,675,552,870,090,560.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $339,016,314,199,395,712.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $349,778,851,963,746,304.00 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $351,930,199,395,770,432.00 | 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 |