According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,152.52% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $5,381,287.69 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.52% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $250,000 in Chicago in the year 1935 would cost $5,631,287.69 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 $250,000 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 | $250,000.00 | 4.33% |
1936 | $255,025.13 | 2.01% |
1937 | $265,546.48 | 4.13% |
1938 | $263,662.06 | -0.71% |
1939 | $258,479.90 | -1.97% |
1940 | $259,893.22 | 0.55% |
1941 | $273,555.28 | 5.26% |
1942 | $300,722.36 | 9.93% |
1943 | $317,525.13 | 5.59% |
1944 | $322,393.22 | 1.53% |
1945 | $329,302.76 | 2.14% |
1946 | $358,668.34 | 8.92% |
1947 | $416,614.32 | 16.16% |
1948 | $452,889.45 | 8.71% |
1949 | $452,418.34 | -0.10% |
1950 | $456,972.36 | 1.01% |
1951 | $492,933.42 | 7.87% |
1952 | $503,611.81 | 2.17% |
1953 | $508,008.79 | 0.87% |
1954 | $515,546.48 | 1.48% |
1955 | $519,001.26 | 0.67% |
1956 | $526,224.87 | 1.39% |
1957 | $543,341.71 | 3.25% |
1958 | $559,830.40 | 3.03% |
1959 | $564,384.42 | 0.81% |
1960 | $572,236.18 | 1.39% |
1961 | $575,062.81 | 0.49% |
1962 | $581,030.15 | 1.04% |
1963 | $586,840.45 | 1.00% |
1964 | $589,195.98 | 0.40% |
1965 | $597,047.74 | 1.33% |
1966 | $614,949.75 | 3.00% |
1967 | $630,967.34 | 2.60% |
1968 | $657,663.32 | 4.23% |
1969 | $693,624.37 | 5.47% |
1970 | $733,354.27 | 5.73% |
1971 | $762,248.74 | 3.94% |
1972 | $783,919.60 | 2.84% |
1973 | $833,071.61 | 6.27% |
1974 | $921,168.34 | 10.57% |
1975 | $993,875.63 | 7.89% |
1976 | $1,041,457.29 | 4.79% |
1977 | $1,106,940.95 | 6.29% |
1978 | $1,203,203.52 | 8.70% |
1979 | $1,353,329.15 | 12.48% |
1980 | $1,548,523.87 | 14.42% |
1981 | $1,696,765.08 | 9.57% |
1982 | $1,812,500.00 | 6.82% |
1983 | $1,884,736.18 | 3.99% |
1984 | $1,955,873.12 | 3.77% |
1985 | $2,029,679.65 | 3.77% |
1986 | $2,072,079.15 | 2.09% |
1987 | $2,157,506.28 | 4.12% |
1988 | $2,241,834.17 | 3.91% |
1989 | $2,355,213.57 | 5.06% |
1990 | $2,481,783.92 | 5.37% |
1991 | $2,582,443.47 | 4.06% |
1992 | $2,658,134.42 | 2.93% |
1993 | $2,740,106.78 | 3.08% |
1994 | $2,800,094.22 | 2.19% |
1995 | $2,889,133.17 | 3.18% |
1996 | $2,966,394.47 | 2.67% |
1997 | $3,047,581.66 | 2.74% |
1998 | $3,108,982.41 | 2.01% |
1999 | $3,173,366.83 | 2.07% |
2000 | $3,275,282.66 | 3.21% |
2001 | $3,360,552.76 | 2.60% |
2002 | $3,414,101.76 | 1.59% |
2003 | $3,476,915.83 | 1.84% |
2004 | $3,554,648.24 | 2.24% |
2005 | $3,662,217.34 | 3.03% |
2006 | $3,737,280.15 | 2.05% |
2007 | $3,859,627.83 | 3.27% |
2008 | $4,005,067.53 | 3.77% |
2009 | $3,957,193.78 | -1.20% |
2010 | $4,011,377.20 | 1.37% |
2011 | $4,120,932.79 | 2.73% |
2012 | $4,183,506.60 | 1.52% |
2013 | $4,231,378.77 | 1.14% |
2014 | $4,305,296.80 | 1.75% |
2015 | $4,292,569.10 | -0.30% |
2016 | $4,321,012.88 | 0.66% |
2017 | $4,402,223.62 | 1.88% |
2018 | $4,479,389.13 | 1.75% |
2019 | $4,544,861.81 | 1.46% |
2020 | $4,595,592.02 | 1.12% |
2021 | $4,789,429.96 | 4.22% |
2022 | $5,151,182.47 | 7.55% |
2023 | $5,322,540.83 | 3.33% |
2024 | $5,506,752.51 | 3.46% |
2025 | $5,631,287.69 | 2.26%* |
* 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 | 298.834 |