According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Houston, Texas are 1,995.68% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $427,076,240,075.61 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Houston experienced an average inflation rate of 3.64% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $21,400,000,000 in Houston in the year 1940 would cost $448,476,240,075.61 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation in Houston was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0.25%, which is significantly below the average yearly change in Houston during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation in Houston was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Houston, over time, for $21,400,000,000 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 | $21,400,000,000.00 | 0.25% |
| 1941 | $22,330,434,782.61 | 4.35% |
| 1942 | $24,663,264,020.16 | 10.45% |
| 1943 | $25,971,266,540.64 | 5.30% |
| 1944 | $26,213,988,657.84 | 0.93% |
| 1945 | $26,766,855,702.58 | 2.11% |
| 1946 | $28,883,931,947.07 | 7.91% |
| 1947 | $33,954,127,284.18 | 17.55% |
| 1948 | $36,785,885,318.21 | 8.34% |
| 1949 | $36,678,008,821.68 | -0.29% |
| 1950 | $37,783,742,911.15 | 3.01% |
| 1951 | $40,804,284,814.11 | 7.99% |
| 1952 | $41,303,213,610.59 | 1.22% |
| 1953 | $41,734,719,596.72 | 1.04% |
| 1954 | $41,802,142,407.06 | 0.16% |
| 1955 | $41,424,574,669.19 | -0.90% |
| 1956 | $42,058,349,086.33 | 1.53% |
| 1957 | $43,447,258,979.21 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $44,202,394,454.95 | 1.74% |
| 1959 | $44,512,539,382.48 | 0.70% |
| 1960 | $45,024,952,741.02 | 1.15% |
| 1961 | $45,186,767,485.82 | 0.36% |
| 1962 | $46,090,233,144.30 | 2.00% |
| 1963 | $46,481,285,444.23 | 0.85% |
| 1964 | $47,195,967,233.77 | 1.54% |
| 1965 | $47,762,318,840.58 | 1.20% |
| 1966 | $49,029,867,674.86 | 2.65% |
| 1967 | $50,324,385,633.27 | 2.64% |
| 1968 | $52,347,069,943.29 | 4.02% |
| 1969 | $55,745,179,584.12 | 6.49% |
| 1970 | $58,698,298,676.75 | 5.30% |
| 1971 | $60,882,797,731.57 | 3.72% |
| 1972 | $62,986,389,413.99 | 3.46% |
| 1973 | $66,303,591,682.42 | 5.27% |
| 1974 | $73,706,616,257.09 | 11.17% |
| 1975 | $82,687,334,593.57 | 12.18% |
| 1976 | $88,957,655,954.63 | 7.58% |
| 1977 | $95,389,792,060.49 | 7.23% |
| 1978 | $104,397,479,521.11 | 9.44% |
| 1979 | $118,259,609,325.77 | 13.28% |
| 1980 | $133,335,349,716.45 | 12.75% |
| 1981 | $146,671,581,600.50 | 10.00% |
| 1982 | $157,203,024,574.67 | 7.18% |
| 1983 | $161,679,899,180.84 | 2.85% |
| 1984 | $165,900,567,107.75 | 2.61% |
| 1985 | $169,622,306,238.19 | 2.24% |
| 1986 | $168,260,365,469.44 | -0.80% |
| 1987 | $172,022,558,286.07 | 2.24% |
| 1988 | $176,998,361,688.72 | 2.89% |
| 1989 | $184,333,963,453.06 | 4.14% |
| 1990 | $194,568,746,061.75 | 5.55% |
| 1991 | $202,214,492,753.62 | 3.93% |
| 1992 | $208,727,536,231.88 | 3.22% |
| 1993 | $215,456,332,703.21 | 3.22% |
| 1994 | $222,994,202,898.55 | 3.50% |
| 1995 | $226,068,683,049.78 | 1.38% |
| 1996 | $230,761,310,649.02 | 2.08% |
| 1997 | $235,116,824,196.60 | 1.89% |
| 1998 | $237,476,622,558.29 | 1.00% |
| 1999 | $240,429,741,650.91 | 1.24% |
| 2000 | $249,127,284,183.99 | 3.62% |
| 2001 | $256,840,453,686.20 | 3.10% |
| 2002 | $257,514,681,789.54 | 0.26% |
| 2003 | $264,607,561,436.67 | 2.75% |
| 2004 | $273,857,971,014.49 | 3.50% |
| 2005 | $283,742,155,009.45 | 3.61% |
| 2006 | $292,156,521,739.13 | 2.97% |
| 2007 | $297,003,143,037.18 | 1.66% |
| 2008 | $307,420,506,616.26 | 3.51% |
| 2009 | $307,912,962,822.94 | 0.16% |
| 2010 | $313,960,384,373.03 | 1.96% |
| 2011 | $324,028,093,257.72 | 3.21% |
| 2012 | $330,313,247,637.05 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | $335,391,398,865.78 | 1.54% |
| 2014 | $345,098,665,406.43 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | $344,770,990,548.20 | -0.09% |
| 2016 | $349,911,440,453.69 | 1.49% |
| 2017 | $357,030,480,151.23 | 2.03% |
| 2018 | $365,609,493,383.74 | 2.40% |
| 2019 | $370,152,846,880.91 | 1.24% |
| 2020 | $370,521,110,270.95 | 0.10% |
| 2021 | $386,000,848,141.15 | 4.18% |
| 2022 | $417,927,166,981.73 | 8.27% |
| 2023 | $432,790,120,982.99 | 3.56% |
| 2024 | $443,644,384,373.03 | 2.51% |
| 2025 | $448,476,240,075.61 | 1.09%* |
* 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 Houston, Texas:
| 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 | 9.500 | 9.500 | 9.617 | 11.092 | 13.425 | 16.367 | 19.133 | 17.450 | 15.908 | 15.892 | 15.842 | 16.083 | 16.167 | 15.833 | 15.633 | 15.617 | 15.508 | 14.142 | 12.708 | 11.683 | 12.225 | 12.692 | 12.833 | 13.317 | 13.308 | 13.192 | 13.225 | 13.800 | 15.242 | 16.050 | 16.200 | 16.542 | 17.850 | 20.983 | 22.733 | 22.667 | 23.350 | 25.217 | 25.525 | 25.792 | 25.833 | 25.600 | 25.992 | 26.850 | 27.317 | 27.508 | 27.825 | 27.925 | 28.483 | 28.725 | 29.167 | 29.517 | 30.300 | 31.100 | 32.350 | 34.450 | 36.275 | 37.625 | 38.925 | 40.975 | 45.550 | 51.100 | 54.975 | 58.950 | 64.517 | 73.083 | 82.400 | 90.642 | 97.150 | 99.917 | 102.525 | 104.825 | 103.983 | 106.308 | 109.383 | 113.917 | 120.242 | 124.967 | 128.992 | 133.150 | 137.808 | 139.708 | 142.608 | 145.300 | 146.758 | 148.583 | 153.958 | 158.725 | 159.142 | 163.525 | 169.242 | 175.350 | 180.550 | 183.545 | 189.983 | 190.287 | 194.025 | 200.246 | 204.130 | 207.269 | 213.268 | 213.065 | 216.242 | 220.641 | 225.943 | 228.751 | 228.979 | 238.545 | 258.275 | 267.460 | 274.168 | 277.154 |