* We’re going to take yesterday’s Census news in chunks today. We’ll start with Downstate…

“We see a strong relationship to population size with small counties tending to lose population and more populous counties tending to gain people,” [Marc Perry, senior demographer in the US Census Bureau’s Population Division] said.

In general, across the country, Perry said people are moving to larger cities.

“Counties with 1,000 to 5,000 people, 5,000 to 10,000 people and 10,000 to 50,000 people also lost people this decade on average,” Perry said. “Only two categories of counties showed growth. Counties with between 50,000 and 100,000 people grew by 4.1% while counties with 100,000 or more people grew by 9.1%.”

* Brenden Moore…

Downstate Illinois is continuing to hollow out, with U.S. Census data, released Thursday afternoon, confirming the region’s losses as the main driver of the state’s population loss over the past 10 years.

All but 14 of Illinois’ 102 counties experienced population decline this past decade, but the distribution was uneven, with eight counties in populous northeastern Illinois (Cook County, the five suburban “collar” counties and exurban Grundy and Kendall counties) combining for nearly 149,000 in population growth.

But, the rest of the state combined to lose nearly 167,000 people, creating a net loss of more than 18,000 residents and making Illinois just one of three states to lose population this decade. […]

There were some pockets of downstate growth, with Champaign’s population increasing 8.2% to 88,302, making it one of the state’s 10 largest cities. Bloomington also registered a 2.6% jump to 78,680.

Other areas of growth included Carroll, Effingham, Johnson, Monroe and Williamson counties.

* AP…

The Danville, Illinois, area was among 72 metro areas that lost population between the 2010 and 2020 census. The area just west of the Illinois/Indiana border saw the third-largest percentage decline of those 72, losing 12.5% of its population, according to the Census Bureau.

Kendall County, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago and home to communities including Oswego and Yorkville, was Illinois’ fastest-growing county, growing nearly 15%.

* Tribune…

Downstate, Carroll, McLean, Champaign, Effingham, Monroe, Williamson and Johnson counties showed slight growth.

But several downstate counties suffered significant population losses of at least 10%, including some in western and southern Illinois. Alexander County at the southwestern tip of the state had the biggest loss, shedding 36% of its residents over the decade, shrinking from 8,238 people to 5,240.

* And while some college towns increased population, others did not…

Coles County’s population dropped nearly 13% in the past decade, from 53,873 in 2010 to 46,863 in 2020, according to new U.S. Census numbers.

This came as a disappointment for Mattoon City Administrator Kyle Gill.

“I figured we might see a drop in numbers, but I didn’t expect it to be that much,” said Gill. “Especially for the whole county.”

Mattoon dropped from 18,555 people in 2010 to 16,870 in 2020. Charleston also shrank in population from 21,838 to 17,286. […]

Jackson County, home of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, was down 12%. McDonough County, home of Western Illinois University, had a 16.5% decline.

* SJ-R…

In Sangamon County, 2010’s population of 197,465 dropped 0.57%, or 1,122 people, to 196,343. The city of Springfield’s population dropped 1.5%, from 116,250 in 2010 to 114,394 in 2020. […]

Molly Berns, executive director of the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, said the drop in Springfield and Sangamon County’s population wasn’t as large as predicted based on 2019 population estimates from the Census Bureau.

“You never want to be pleased with a population decline,” she said. “I was kind of bracing myself. We knew there was going to be some sort of drop in the population.”

Berns said Springfield and Sangamon County, like communities across Illinois and the Midwest, are experiencing the effects of an aging population, couples having fewer children, a reduction in manufacturing and other good-paying jobs, and the allure of major metropolitan areas for young adults and warmer climates for older people.

*** UPDATE *** Click here and you’ll see how freshman US Rep. Mary Miller regularly bashes Chicago…

But, here’s the thing. Miller lives in Coles County, which lost 13 percent of its population in ten years. The Danville area is also in her district and lost 12.5 percent of its population.

So, maybe try a little less Chicago-bashing and a whole lot more focusing on solving the very real problems in her own neighborhoods?