Census news: Chicago’s gains
Friday, Aug 13, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz…
Chicago and the entire metropolitan area are not in decline. In fact, they’re doing markedly better than many of the experts had predicted.
* ABC 7…
Chicago remains the 3rd largest city in the U.S., according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The city’s population grew by nearly 51,000 from 2010 to 2020.
* Tribune…
Chicago rebounded from a hefty population loss in the first decade of the 2000s to add about 50,000 residents over the last 10 years, but once-robust growth in the surrounding suburbs has slowed to a crawl, according to new 2020 census data released Thursday. […]
The decennial population count put Chicago’s total at 2,746,388 residents — a 1.9% increase over the 2010 census. The six-county region grew to 8,445,866 people — a 1.6% increase over a decade ago. […]
Chicago’s overall population gain is in striking contrast to the previous decade, when the city lost 200,000 residents, a 6.9% decrease. […]
Rob Paral, a researcher with the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, called the results showing Chicago’s population gain a “good census” for the city, noting that it bucked expectations from previous surveys that predicted population losses.
“Some of the narratives we have of decline haven’t really been that accurate,” Paral said. “The suburban portion grew too — barely — but it held its own.”
* Sun-Times…
Even though the city added more than 50,000 Chicagoans since 2010, it still has almost 150,000 fewer people than 20 years ago, a total decrease of about 5.1 %. […]
Overall, the city’s population grew nearly 2% from 2010 to 2020 — from 2.6 million residents to 2.7 million, according to data released from the 2020 census. That’s a change from the population decline the city had experienced from 2000 to 2010, when the city lost nearly 7% of its population. […]
Chicago did not grow as much as other large American cities. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the U.S., grew by nearly 10% in its population from 2010 to 2020, according to the census. Houston now has a population of 2.3 million people. […]
The growth in Chicago follows a national trend of more Americans living in metropolitan areas, said Marc Perry, a senior demographer with the bureau. In 2000, 84% of the country’s population lived in metropolitan areas, but that number grew to 86% by 2020.
We’ll get to demographic changes later today.
* Block Club Chicago…
Among the nation’s 10 largest cities, Chicago’s growth was the smallest at 1.9 percent. New York added more than 600,000 people, Los Angeles a little more than 100,000 and Houston about 200,000.
Phoenix grew 11.2 percent to a little more than 1.6 million, displacing Philadelphia as the nation’s fifth-largest city.
* Meanwhile, Houston is whining…
Not sure if you’ve heard, but they say everything is bigger in Texas. Everything except the state’s largest city, apparently.
While Houston couldn’t pass Chicago this time around, in our hearts we know it deserves the top spot in every single category.
I admit I’ve never even been to Illinois, so I asked new Chronicle reporter and Chicago transplant Sam González Kelly to tell me about the place he calls home.
Houston, listen to this nonsense — you’ll be madder at Chicago than that time it stole Whataburger from us.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:17 am:
50,000 is supposed to be the the size of a ward in Chicago. many wards are actually very undersized population wise, never mind area wise with vast differences in land mass, potholes to fill. this remap should be a doozie, but there will still be a mentality that the white community should lose seats. based on the numbers that would be wrong.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:18 am:
Houston, you have a problem… annexation ain’t growth.
I like that Chicago is in their kitchens, as the Metroplex, (DFW) is still the largest growing compared to the annexing Houston.
To Chicago?
I can explain the Chicago growth and the phony exodus thingy in four words;
John Kass, new Chicagoan.
Anything I missed?
:)
- Dan l - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:23 am:
Man the doomsayers have had a terrible couple of weeks
- NIU Grad - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:28 am:
I’m confident that the fast growth in desert cities like Phoenix can only go so far…at the end of the day, those people are going to need water that is becoming increasingly harder to maintain in the Southwest.
- Jocko - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:29 am:
Houston? You mean the city that’s been underwater three times in the past six years? I’ll pass.
- The Captain - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:31 am:
The last time Houston tried to go head to head against Chicago Houston lost in four straight.
- Frank talks - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:33 am:
Annexation is population growth not a bad way to increase size. Maybe if some suburbs annex into Chicago to increase the land foot print of NY or LA we could get back to #2? J/k
- Blue Dog - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:35 am:
Chicago’s growth in population is probably the reason it has its fiscal ship in order.
- Ben Gazzara - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:35 am:
Wait I thought everyone was fleeing Chicago in droves? How dare facts ruin a narrative!
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:39 am:
So, the heart of Democratic Illinois gained people, hmm… No exodus there. Were the Trib editorial board and the nice people at the IPI (sending mailers to CTU and other unions to break them) misleading/lying to us, to scare us into becoming a red state? Not those nonpartisan folks.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:39 am:
=== Chicago’s growth in population is probably the reason it has its fiscal ship in order.===
Boy, than downstate’s population losses must mean they’re fiscal houses are worse than Chicago.
See, saying Facebook ridiculousness is just like Ad-Libs
- Rabid - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:40 am:
More money for downstate
- JoanP - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:41 am:
I’m so confused. Weren’t people fleeing Chicago in droves?
- low level - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:42 am:
Yes, well, if you’ve been following the incredible building boom downtown and the near west side, the fact that Chicago gained population shouldn’t be a big surprise. New construction plus loft conversions equals Chicago population growth.
- Andersonville Here - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:51 am:
I doubt Houston will ever grow larger than Chicago. Houston has to make significant infrastructure investments in order to support this type of sustained growth. I guess we will see, but Houston is likely slowing down, given economic pressures of moving away from oil and gas. Chicago has a bright future, and a diversified economy. Despite some challenges, we have incredible infrastructure, no forest fires, and lots of water, unlike some of those other higher growth cities.
- Northsider - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:51 am:
Hello, Katrina and Kass, any comments? … Hello?
.
.
.
(Tap, tap, tap)
.
.
.
Is this thing on?
- 47th Ward - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 10:56 am:
So despite the best efforts of the clowns at the Tribune editorial board, Chicago hasn’t emptied out just yet.
That explains the all the traffic then I guess.
- PublicServant - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:09 am:
Houston, you have a problem. Specifically, too much water when you don’t need it, and not enough when you do. Additionally, you have a governor who is a covid skeptic, and a climate change denier. Enjoy your 100 year storms every other year, and your power outages from your regulation-free businesses.
- Meh - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:17 am:
Seems to be a lot of people are reading into this what they want to and ignoring what is arguably the most important part of this post- the excerpt from Block Club…
- Langhorne - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:21 am:
My sister and brother-in-law have lived in Houston for 30 years, but they are getting out. Moving into the Cleveland area to be closer to family.
They are tired of the storms, flooding, infrastructure problems, traffic, etc. As a result of the meltdown of the Electric grid, homeowners are having to pay $40 more each month. Thats $480 more monthly over the course of a year. Leaving Texas gubmint behind.
- Red Ranger - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:22 am:
The champagne is flowing this morning on the blog. IL population essentially flat. A little different for our neighbors. OH +2.3%, IN +4.7%, MO +2.8%, WI +3.8% Lets definitely stay the course.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:22 am:
=== ignoring what is arguably the most important part of this post===
lol
Go with that. It’s fun.
For years, many years, it was IPI, the Tribune, Raunerites… all that was said was this exodus… the state, Chicago… tens of THOUSANDS… leaving, moving… gone.
This idea that the most important *isn’t* the debunking of another phony negative myth that “non Democrat folks” wanted as truth … that’s missing the truth… of what it means to debunk those tearing Illinois and Chicago down.
I mean, if it’s about the (checks notes) slowest growth… growth… that’s readily admitting how phony these years and those folks are.
- Meh - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:27 am:
OW if you wanna ignore context, go right ahead. Pop champagne over the fact that Chicago did what everyone else did, just worse.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:29 am:
=== essentially flat===
Narrator: there was growth
I know, playing down the growth after pushing the exodus is tough for many, but…
Oh, let’s keep in mind “Democrat folks” complained about the process not counting everyone and yet… and *yet*… Chicago grew.
And who exactly is swilling champagne?
Mocking Kass, McQueary, IPI… that’s not champagne worthy, barely sparkling or Prosecco worthy, lol
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:29 am:
Decades ago spent part of a summer in Houston? Best description of the place? From the late Molly Ivins: “Houston is laid out like Los Angeles and has the climate of Calcutta, India.”
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:30 am:
The context of the reality (phony reality) is that Chicago is an “exodus haven”
Now it’s… “growth isn’t growth, cause”
C’mon, that’s not even worth a mocking
- Red Ranger - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:34 am:
Again, the champagne or prosecco flowing over (checks notes) a population decline of 18k people over last ten years. All of our neighbors grew. We didn’t. Again, stay the course.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:42 am:
New York City had strong gains, obliterating that right wing exodus narrative.
The story is not that Chicago had less gains than New York, but Chicago gained in the face of all the phony exodus doomsaying.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:43 am:
=== All of our neighbors grew. We didn’t. Again, stay the course.===
What course do you suggest?
I mean, this exodus never happened, was a phony talking point, so if you see it stagnant, what needs to change?
I stated;
Fully funded and realign higher education, infrastructure (which is being addressed) and the “bash Chicago” tact needs to stop so recruiting and keeping folks understand self loathing isn’t an Illinois open for business,
You?
- levivotedforjudy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:59 am:
For the anti-Chicago, “doom & gloom” crowd, this must be like getting your bracket busted on Saturday afternoon during the NCAA tournament.
- Former Hoosier - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 11:59 am:
My husband and I just moved back to Chicago after four long years in Indiana. We are thrilled to be back!
- low level - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:16 pm:
== you wanna ignore context, go right ahead==
And if you want to ignore the underlying facts, go right ahead.
You guys kind of amaze me. You trash the state, trash Chicago, yet remain as residents. This isnt the USSR where you needed permission to move. You’re free to leave any time.
- Red Ranger - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:29 pm:
I can feel the UIUC $35k per year tuition and fees dropping as I type and that bullet train from Champaign to Chicago that Gov Quinn promised, I think I see the tracks being laid right now. For all of us Cook Co residents, we got a lovely reminder yesterday of the true bliss that is owning property in the county. If you own a store, you must love the Kim Foxx policy of the first $1000 of product being free and finally, if your home in the South Loop is robbed this weekend, I wouldn’t bother calling the police, they aren’t coming. Stay the course my friends, its working.
- Amalia - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:30 pm:
Houston. anyone ever been to Houston? it is awful. the downtown area is meh, it’s hot as…, the weather is terrible, omg when it rains. and it’s in Texas, land of uncontrollable electricity in warm or cold weather thanks to idiotic Republican leadership.
- Tweed - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:34 pm:
What makes the conversation about Chicago vs. Houston even more ridiculous is Chicago’s size is 234 square miles while Houston is 669 square miles.
Houston has almost 3 times as much land and they still trail Chicago by about 400,000 people.
Given these numbers, it’s not a surprise that Houston’s metro population trails Chicago’s by about 2.4 million people… that’s more than the entire population of Houston itself.
The Texas triangle (Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio) combines for over 20m and still technically has room to grow. Although their leadership and infrastructure raise some questions about how sustainable any growth will be, Houston’s best card in any population debate would be to hype the long-term benefits of their combined region.
Houston’s metro is actually smaller than Dallas’ so don’t expect that to be the case anytime soon. #BigAspirations #SmallTimeThinking
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:34 pm:
===Gov Quinn promised===
Today. Let’s talk today. Today and tomorrow.
===If you own a store, you must love the Kim Foxx policy of the first $1000 of product being free===
Really? Where are the lines for the free stuff?
Your Facebook rant is In-Law Uncle worthy.
I asked you…” what needs to change?”
You wrote…” Stay the course my friends, its working.”
You are seemingly clueless to be solution oriented.
And let’s be frank, friend…
You are bringing up Cook and Chicago issues… both had population increases.
If you wanna talk “state”, how about having solutions not grievances?
Try it.
Otherwise, keep reading Kass… he recently moved to Chicago to own the libs
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:38 pm:
Also - Red Ranger -
===But how many times have the goofs on the far right compared Illinois to Greece or Chicago to Detroit, or… well, any number of things?
They deliberately created the impression that the state is dying and their wrong-headed approach has effected policy debate for a very long time. Illinois is not healthy by any means, but it ain’t dead, either. The mouth breathers need to sit the heck down for a bit.===
What Rich said.
A list of grievances isn’t what I asked
- Sssharpie - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:55 pm:
Census day was April 1, 2020. Much has happened in the city, county, state, and country since then.
If my suburban neighborhood trends are any indication, red folks are moving out of state, purple folks are moving from city to suburb. I can only surmise that at this time, blue folks are moving into city, from all corners of the country and world. A “blue beacon” if you will.
The solution for the state bleed is to not have the state’s mission to unequivocally be the most progressive in the country. And then whine about not having unity.
- low level - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 12:59 pm:
== if your home in the South Loop is robbed this weekend, I wouldn’t bother calling the police, they aren’t coming. ==
Care to elaborate?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 1:01 pm:
=== If my suburban neighborhood trends are any indication===
Anecdotal is not data. Otherwise there would be no need for a census.
=== I can only surmise that at this time===
So you don’t know.
=== The solution for the state bleed is to not have the state’s mission to unequivocally be the most progressive in the country. And then whine about not having unity.===
“Lucky Pierre” is that you?
Supermajorities aren’t looking for unity, they are looking to work in a bipartisan way, when it suits… ‘cause… winners… make… policy
- Red Ranger - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 1:13 pm:
OW, you are the one celebrating pretty sub-par census results. Im simply pointing out reasons why IL is the only state in the midwest that had zero population growth, Cook county is barely growing and why Chicago is one of the slowest growing major cities in America; crime, high property taxes, a history of incompetent leadership to name a few. The voters of this state have chosen this path, I can count to both 60 and 30, and thats fine. But to act like its resulting in prosperity or a path to excellence takes cognitive dissonance that I simply do not possess.
- low level - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 1:18 pm:
Red Ranger, got it. Did you give up on the south loop comment?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 1:22 pm:
===Im simply pointing out===
It’s the bad mouthing Illinois that has sullied the state when matched to actual numbers like a census.
You can’t even grasp what you’re doing, or that you are being part of the problem being discussed on multiple posts Rich has up.
I’m not celebrating, for like the 9th time, I’m wholly mocking the negative nellies who bad mouthed Illinois
After a 3rd try… you *still* can’t show any solutions you support… making your thinking *still* part of the problem.
Usually at this point the favorite aunt rescues the family from the in-law uncle
=== But to act like its resulting in prosperity or a path to excellence takes cognitive dissonance that I simply do not possess.===
You can count to 60 and 30, you don’t like the path, and yet Chicago still had growth, not an exodus… no one I’ve read thinks anything is perfect, I’ve suggested things I’d like to see, so unless your solutions are already Rauner like and wholly rejected…
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 1:23 pm:
===Did you give up on the south loop comment?===
Realizes that they went too “old-angry-white-rural”?
- Leap Day William - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:00 pm:
== you are the one celebrating pretty sub-par census results ==
I can’t speak for OW, but I don’t think anybody here is *celebrating* a sub-par census result. I do see everyone breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn’t anywhere as bad as we were led to believe, though, and I do see people celebrating the prognosticators of doom and gloom that have spent the last decade plus betting against Illinois were shown to be completely wrong.
We didn’t get in this situation overnight, and it’s gonna take a while to right the ship, but at least the holes in the hull are not as fatal as we were led to believe. Progress is not linear.
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:25 pm:
The Democrat-driven exodus narrative is over. Flush it and find more productive ways to spend right wing billionaires’ donations.
- Blake - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:30 pm:
Annexation ain’t growth really does have me thinking built-up areas are what should be reported. By built-up area, Houston is smaller than Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth, & Philadelphia.
- misterjayem - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:32 pm:
More like Chicagrow, amirite?
– MrJM
- Da Big Bad Wolf - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:33 pm:
=== If you own a store, you must love the Kim Foxx policy of the first $1000 of product being free.===
1. If you shoplift and get caught in Cook County and the amount is under $1000 it is prosecuted as a misdemeanor. It’s not “free.” Elsewhere in Illinois the threshold between felony retail theft and misdemeanor retail theft is $500.
For comparison, only eleven states besides Illinois have the threshold between misdemeanor and felony theft below $1000, 15 have the threshold more than $1000 and 23 states have it at $1000. Nobody is suggesting that in 38 states items below $1000 are “free.”
===and finally, if your home in the South Loop is robbed this weekend, I wouldn’t bother calling the police, they aren’t coming.===
You can always go to your friendly local police station and fill out a police report.
- Red Ranger - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:34 pm:
You are in the company of West Virginia and Mississippi and not Wisconsin, Michigan Missouri or Iowa. How you look at that and breathe a sigh of relief, I just don’t understand.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:39 pm:
===I just don’t understand.===
Welp, good on you for admitting you can’t grasp ideas or thoughts, and still can’t come up with any solutions to boot.
Leaving it for everyone else might be better for all, like when we send the In-Law Uncle out for things we know her have trouble finding as the rest of us figure how to help my aunt.
It’s on brand.
=== How you look at that and breathe a sigh of relief===
You know there’s room between utter doom and perfect… you can grasp that.
- Blake - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:43 pm:
Red Ranger, expectations set the bar really low. 48th ain’t great, but reality beat expectations handsomely.
- low level - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:54 pm:
Gee, here’s a report about crime in the south loop. Looks like the police responded.
https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2021/06/18/south-loop-neighborhood-watch-crime/?amp
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Aug 13, 21 @ 2:58 pm:
Could these numbers potentially lead to a 2nd Hispanic congressional district? Thus dividing the current 4th’s horseshoe in half (into separate Hispanic northern and southern seats, perhaps one heading toward Elgin and other toward Aurora)?