According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 1,627.26% higher in 2026 versus 1945 (a $14,591,656.58 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2026: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.58% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $896,700 in Chicago in the year 1945 would cost $15,488,356.58 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.63% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 2.14%, which is below the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1945-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $896,700 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $896,700.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $976,663.23 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $1,134,451.65 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $1,233,229.76 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $1,231,946.92 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $1,244,347.64 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $1,342,270.53 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $1,371,348.07 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $1,383,321.17 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $1,403,846.49 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,413,253.93 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,432,924.03 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,479,533.62 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,524,432.76 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,536,833.48 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,558,214.02 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,565,911.02 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,582,160.23 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,597,981.83 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,604,395.99 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,625,776.54 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $1,674,524.18 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $1,718,140.49 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $1,790,834.33 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $1,888,757.22 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $1,996,942.78 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $2,075,623.18 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $2,134,633.48 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $2,268,475.68 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $2,508,365.38 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $2,706,349.21 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $2,835,915.31 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $3,014,229.04 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $3,276,354.51 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $3,685,150.50 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $4,216,670.82 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $4,620,335.48 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $4,935,484.69 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $5,132,185.69 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $5,325,893.42 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $5,526,870.53 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $5,642,325.46 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $5,874,945.78 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $6,104,572.82 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $6,413,307.87 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $6,757,962.23 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $7,032,060.80 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $7,238,169.24 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $7,461,382.12 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $7,624,729.47 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $7,867,184.84 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $8,077,569.38 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $8,298,644.21 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $8,465,840.06 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $8,641,160.52 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $8,918,679.97 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $9,150,872.68 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $9,296,687.98 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $9,467,732.33 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $9,679,399.71 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $9,972,313.16 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $10,176,711.16 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $10,509,867.07 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $10,905,903.15 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $10,775,541.70 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $10,923,084.56 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $11,221,407.28 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $11,391,797.39 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $11,522,154.56 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $11,723,435.27 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $11,688,777.41 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $11,766,230.57 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $11,987,369.53 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $12,197,493.24 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $12,375,777.04 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $12,513,916.73 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $13,041,742.49 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $14,026,804.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $14,493,417.26 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $14,995,030.47 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $15,472,668.71 | 3.19% |
| 2026 | $15,488,356.58 | 0.10%* |
* 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 | 301.533 | 301.839 |