According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 667.88% higher in 2025 versus 1970 (a $941,712,128,479.66 difference in value).
Between 1970 and 2025: Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 3.78% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $141,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1970 would cost $1,082,712,128,479.66 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.90% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was lower.
In the year 1970: Pricing changed by 5.73%, which is above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1970-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1970 (5.83%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, over time, for $141,000,000,000 beginning in 1970. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $141,000,000,000.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $146,555,460,385.44 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $150,722,055,674.52 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $160,172,376,873.66 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $177,110,492,505.35 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $191,089,721,627.41 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $200,238,115,631.69 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $212,828,479,657.39 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $231,336,616,702.36 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $260,200,856,531.05 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $297,730,406,852.25 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $326,232,334,047.11 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $348,484,368,308.35 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $362,373,019,271.95 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $376,050,321,199.14 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $390,240,899,357.60 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $398,392,933,618.84 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $414,817,773,019.27 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $431,031,263,383.30 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $452,830,406,852.25 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $477,165,738,758.03 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $496,519,271,948.61 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $511,072,162,740.90 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $526,832,762,312.63 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $538,366,381,156.32 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $555,485,653,104.93 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $570,340,471,092.08 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $585,950,107,066.38 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $597,755,460,385.44 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $610,134,475,374.73 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $629,729,550,321.20 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $646,124,197,002.14 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $656,419,914,346.90 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $668,497,002,141.33 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $683,442,398,286.94 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $704,124,411,134.90 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $718,556,531,049.25 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $742,079,980,728.05 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $770,043,269,807.28 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $760,838,717,344.75 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $771,256,413,276.23 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $792,320,364,025.70 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $804,351,256,959.31 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $813,555,507,494.65 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $827,767,522,483.94 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $825,320,402,569.59 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $830,789,209,850.11 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $846,403,374,732.33 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $861,239,775,160.60 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $873,828,025,695.93 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $883,581,783,725.91 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $920,850,468,950.75 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $990,403,625,267.67 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $1,023,350,222,698.07 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $1,058,768,094,218.42 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $1,082,712,128,479.66 | 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 |