* Jake Griffin…
From 2010 to 2014, Chicago and 73 of the suburbs saw their populations increase.
But the trend reversed from 2014 to 2016. In that time, Chicago and 61 suburbs saw their populations shrink.
So far, the numbers are small. In 2015, the 91 communities lost 0.1 percent of their collective population, or nearly 3,700 residents. Last year, they lost an estimated 0.2 percent, which represents nearly 10,000 residents. […]
Decreases were sharpest in the Cook County suburbs closest to the Chicago. Towns including Rosemont, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect and even Hoffman Estates experienced declines of a full percent or more during the past two years.
Yesterday, the governor’s office blamed Mayor Rahm Emanuel for Chicago’s population loss. You gotta wonder whether he feels the same about Mayor Stephens, et al. So, I asked. Awaiting a reply.
* Graphic…
* Meanwhile…
Among larger downstate cities, Bloomington and Champaign added population from 2010 to 2016, according to the census figures, while Springfield, Rockford and Peoria lost residents.
Two college towns were both net gainers over time.
* But in the last 12 months…
Of the larger cities outside of Chicago, Quincy, Kankakee, Bloomington, Rockford, Peoria, Carbondale, Decatur, and Waukegan all dropped in population.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Oh I’m sure it has nothing to do with the property taxes, especially those that rival or exceed mortgage payments
- Rich Miller - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:29 am:
===Oh I’m sure it has nothing to do with the property taxes===
In Rosemont?
- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:31 am:
Rosemont lacks major residential land
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:35 am:
===Oh I’m sure it has nothing to do with the property taxes===
So from 2010 to 2014 there weren’t property taxes?
- Mike Cirrincione - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:35 am:
What happens to the businessmen and women in college towns when their minimum wage paying, franchise, fast food restaurants close?
- Porgy Tirebiter - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:36 am:
Rosemont lacks major residential land says somebody who knows nothing about Rosemont
- Arsenal - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:42 am:
“Starting in 2014, most started losing population.”
Noted because, well, that seems pretty telling.
- Rayne of Terror - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:44 am:
Whatever is going on at ISU with their health insurance seems to be a final straw for many. Professor friends are very worried about their health insurance plans. SF is making it more difficult to stay here too. I’m seeing more friends of friends on Facebook who seem to have been coerced into moving to Atlanta, GA. No promotions for systems people who stay in Bloomington is my understanding.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:45 am:
Illinois State University is in Normal, not Bloomington. Also, Bloomington/Normal’s population is more affected by the shifts in State Farm than ISU.
- Evanstonian - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:46 am:
Signal, noise, etc.
- anon - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Living in Illinois for many residents has become “Slip Slidin’ Away” (Lyrics from Paul Simon):
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we’re gliding down the highway
When in fact we’re slip slidin’ away…
- Ahoy! - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:52 am:
Can’t we all just admit that the demographics should be a wake up call to everyone? It’s not like we got here overnight, this has been a constant problem that has not been deal with. Our downward trajectory got worse, but let’s remember, we’re still on a downward trajectory and we have been for a long time.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:56 am:
I cannot wait to see how many congressional seats we loose and really will enjoy not only the statewide redistricting but the Chicago aldermanic redistricting Fun times ahead and full employment for election attorneys
- California Guy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:59 am:
@ Ahoy!
Too late for that, unfortunately. Democrats want to raise revenue and oppose cuts. Republicans want to implement cuts and avoid revenue increases. As a result, the situation snowballs into a bigger problem. Get out while you can! The last hold outs in Illinois are going to see epic tax bills. There’s no way around it.
- Galena Guy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:01 am:
Porgy Tirebiter - 100% correct, you spy and girl delighter!
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:03 am:
===Yesterday, the governor’s office blamed Mayor Rahm Emanuel for Chicago’s population loss. You gotta wonder whether he feels the same about Mayor Stephens, et al. So, I asked. Awaiting a reply===
The population shrinking now, the “U-Hauls”, the whatever Rauner thinks the blame, or reasoning or facts…
… the business community seems to be willing to say getting a budget is going to help, Rauner Agenda issues or not.
Rahm Emanuel or not, having a budget in place makes a stronger argument for people to say.
Responsibility to governing will do that.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:06 am:
===Democrats want to raise revenue and oppose cuts.===
Rauner won’t propose a budget, Rauner’s budget director refuses to name a single cut.
Your buffoonery is noted.
- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:08 am:
Some, like me, think of leaving this state, not because of specific issues that bug me, but for the constant, constant, constant! crisis that is a part of this state’s governance. Whether it’s legal action and prison for our governors, lack of funding to schools, property tax fights, etc. etc. To be sure, other states don’t function perfectly but they sure don’t have the gut wrenching all out fighting on a daily basis either.
Having relatives in two high functioning states, it actually is like going to Disneyland when we visit. Scandals happen but only occasionally.
So obviously jobs and affordability are key in why many leave Illinois for other places. Other factors that affect people cause some to seek more pleasant places to live. It really is eye opening to see functioning states with governors that lead and legislatures that represent the people in the state.
- California Guy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:15 am:
@ OW
Fair enough. Perhaps I oversimplified the situation. I do think the problem is two sided and no solution is in sight.
Most of us don’t sit on this blog and his refresh every 5-seconds, so we all can’t be as informed as you are! That’s why we need you!
- muon - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:16 am:
I’m not sure why the article uses 2014 as the turning point. 2013 was the peak population for Illinois as a whole, and it was also the peak year for Cook as well as Chicago. The collars peaked in different years. McHenry peaked way back in 2010 while Kane and Will have grown all decade. Looking at the actual peak dates compared to the state makes it clearer that this is a problem deeper than the last election cycle.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:20 am:
Rayne, the health insurance beliefs chart and rate schedule, e.g. Current Plan=Platinum and Rate Change=$763/month for member/annuitant and 2 dependents which got around far and wide earlier this year is that of which you speak. When the CMS director gets whacked for everything he does, here’s a good example why. This is not happening for next year or as long as there is collective bargaining in Illinois.
Put your minds at ease, but quit saying your biz school is better than the U of I’s or it’s gonna be on! Where is your Research Park, anyway?
Be as good before claiming to be better.
- Conservative Deadbeat - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:22 am:
Population decline may be the right thing for Illinois. A downsized state might be a better fit for an electorate that has a history of refusing to support state government adequately.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:22 am:
===ost of us don’t sit on this blog and his refresh every 5-seconds, so we all can’t be as informed as you are!===
The fact you may not know that Rauner hasn’t proposed a balanced budget or that Rauner’s budget director refuses to name cuts… facts weeks, nay months old, maybe you need to pay attention beyond worrying about refreshing anything.
- Cable Line Beer Gardener - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:33 am:
Who eliminated DuPage County?
- kitty - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:39 am:
Rauner defines “winning” as economically strangling communities with “directional” universities until his agenda is enacted. These communities are not as large or as diverse as Bloomington-Normal or Champaign-Urbana, each of which having urban center populations larger than Springfield. They are growing based on employment opportunities and the quality of life they offer. Voters in Coles County must not value the survival of EIU as they elect and re-elect Dale Righter and Reggie Phillips whom have demonstrated they value the Rauner agenda more than EIU’s survival or the livelihoods of their constituents.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 11:42 am:
2014. Wasn’t that the year someone starting running non-stop commercials telling everyone how crappy Illinois has become?
- Michael Westen - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:26 pm:
I asked that question yesterday in comments.
- resistanceisfutil - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 12:39 pm:
Yesterday I wrote that the prospects for non-middle-class suburbs are “not too good, either.” Here is evidence of the truth of that claim. I guess I should have included even the middle class suburbs of Cook County.
Yet it is astonishing to see how every new finding just turns into the floor for another round of the never-ending Punch and Judy show between state Republicans and Democrats. For thirty five years Republicans have screamed, “Vote for us! All they want to do is raise your taxes!” The Democrats have cried, “Vote for us! All they want to do is cut all the services that make life liveable for you!” So we’ve had Republican governors and Democratic legistatures, each trying to get the final death grip on the other. Even Democratic governors were treated by the legislature as if they were Republicans. The impasse that resulted has frozen the state and destroyed its ability to respond adaptively to changing times.
If you step back from the immediate politics to look at policy, what you see is no different from the boom-and-bust cycle long known to produce ghost towns in the West. It just occurs over a longer time cycle than the mining towns. When the consulting companies began to show industries how to improve their profitability by moving out of the small towns and cities of Illinois and shipping value-added activities to other states and countries with extremely weak labor laws, this was the equivalent of the ore playing out in an exhausted vein. The Chicago area has even been losing its advantage as a transportation and commercial hub.
So far no one has found a replacement for the industries that left, other than Chicago’s call to the “creative class” and financial sector. But a capital-intensive solution like this will not work for the bulk of the population.
Many of the elites of the state, tied to the agricultural industries or the financial sector, don’t give a damn about the newly surplus population suffering from declining home values, a hollowed-out tax base, and the consequences for their schools and infrastructure. The elites are happy to see the others leave, as long as it is possible to temporize until they can figure out a way to repudiate the debts the state accumulated over the years of deadlock.
For those who think they can evade this problem by recommending eveyone move out of state, note that Illinois is still a typical, typical, typical state, if not in politics then in almost every other way. The same tensions that deadlocked Illinois are present at the national level. Did industry move from the Midwest to the Sunbelt? That shiny new infrastructure you enjoy so much today will need maintenance tomorrow, there will be no money for upkeep, you will have the socio-demographic characteristics of states with high stress, low services, and lots of guns, and the businesses will be moving on.
No matter how much you point your fingers at Robber Rauner or Monster Madigan, nothing will change until people who care about the state devise a policy — yes, a plan — to put money-making activities back into the small towns of Illinois. As long as policy is secondary to partisan posturing all you do is provide a puppet show to keep people distracted while everything crumbles around them.
- DuPage - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 1:38 pm:
Higher education is a very large employer in many college towns. Rauner’s funding cuts have killed thousands of jobs in these towns directly, and indirectly. These cuts are responsible for most, if not all the population loss in these college communities.
- BuckinIrish - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 2:33 pm:
===No matter how much you point your fingers at Robber Rauner or Monster Madigan, nothing will change until people who care about the state devise a policy — yes, a plan — to put money-making activities back into the small towns of Illinois.===
Amen.
As much as I despise Rauner, he at least created a plan that he thought would turn the tide. That plan may be pure garbage, but at least it was trying to shake up was is clearly a stagnant state. None of the Democratic candidates have a plan that brings real change, they just claim to all favor progressive policy.
Rahm Emmanuel saw that Chicago needed some shaking up and so he closed schools, cut services and raised taxes. Chicago may not be surging forwards(CPS crisis) but at least you know where the momentum is going.
- Precinct Captain - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 3:09 pm:
==- Anonymous - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 10:45 am:==
Yeah, nothing that happens at ISU has an effect in Bloomington.
- Retired Educator - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 3:12 pm:
Illinois colleges and universities are suffering from “adjunctivitis.” Who wants to pay tuition in Illinois when almost all of the classes are being taught by lowly paid part-timers so that the fat cat administrators can increase their salaries and pensions?
BTW a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all the retired faculty members who were teaching on a part-time basis at Oakton Community College who were summarily fired due to “the Biss Amendment.”
- DuPage Saint - Friday, May 26, 17 @ 3:27 pm:
Cable Line: DuPage County was eliminated in the last redistricting