IL Has Lost More Residents Since 2010 Than All But 1 State

CHICAGO — A report from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency For Planning (CMAP) shows that Illinois lost nearly 80,000 residents in 2020, marking the seventh straight year of population loss for the state. West Virginia is the only state with a greater population decline than Illinois since 2010.

The 2020 numbers are based on estimates, since the U.S. Census Bureau has not yet released the results of the 2020 Census. CMAP, a regional planning organization, also weaved in data from additional sources for the report, which shows: the areas of the state seeing the greatest population declines, how the Chicago region ranks against other major metropolitan areas, where former residents are moving, from where new residents have arrived and population trends relating to minority groups.

Among the key takeaways from CMAP's report:

Illinois' population now stands at 12,587,530 and has declined almost 2 percent since 2010.

The vast majority of Illinois' population losses have happened outside the seven-county CMAP (Chicago) region, with at least 10 downstate counties having seen their populations decline by more than 5 percent over the last decade.

Within the Chicago region, four counties (DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will) have seen growth, while three counties (Cook, Lake, McHenry) have seen small population declines.

The Chicago region's growth rate, though stronger than the state as a whole, is lower than other major metropolitan areas. The Chicago region had the 46th-lowest growth rate compared to the 50 largest metropolitan areas.

In 2019, 308,000 Illinois residents moved to other states, with Indiana, Florida, California, Texas and Wisconsin the most popular destinations. Meanwhile, 248,000 new residents arrived in Illinois. Topping the list of states they left: Indiana, Florida, California and Wisconsin.

Residents continue to migrate to northeastern Illinois from other countries, but that rate of growth has slowed recently. A significant increase in new residents born in India has been offset by declines in other groups, notably those born in Mexico.

The Hispanic population in the Chicago region has continued to grow, but the growth rate is only 47th among the country's 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Speaking to WBEZ.org, Erin Aleman, CMAP's executive director, said the numbers were not unexpected given recent population trends and a lagging economy.

"But they do continue to be concerning as we think about the future of our region and what sort of strategies we need to put in place to make sure we are growing," Aleman told WBEZ.org.

"We need to shore up our policies that we need to attract and retain business and identify those places where businesses might want to locate - and then also share with them that we have a skilled workforce," Aleman said.

Read the CMAP report here.

Read more at WBEZ.org.