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Since 1980, Chicago has lost about a third of its black population. […]
“The white population is not falling, and the Latino and Asian populations are slightly growing,” says [Rob Paral, a public policy analyst]. “The big factor that is altering Chicago’s population is the change among blacks.”
Since the early ’80s, blacks in South and West Side neighborhoods have been steadily leaving the city, resettling at first largely in the Cook County suburbs. But over the past 15 years, more and more have been leaving the area entirely for northwest Indiana, Iowa’s Quad Cities, and Sun Belt states, says Alden Loury, the director of research and evaluation at the Metropolitan Planning Council. Today there are roughly 850,000 blacks in Chicago, down from 1.2 million in 1980.
The reasons for this are varied: The foreclosure crisis saw blacks evicted disproportionately from their rental apartments and houses; the Chicago Housing Authority leveled high-rises like the Robert Taylor Homes, scattering public housing residents; the lack of stable employment in South and West Side neighborhoods continues to force residents to look elsewhere for jobs; and school closures further disenfranchise communities. “There are not a lot of messages that Chicago cares about its black residents,” says Mary Pattillo, a sociology and African American studies professor at Northwestern University and author of the book Black Picket Fences. “When you lose the institutions that cultivate attachment, it makes it a lot easier to pick up and leave.”
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:16 pm
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Kind of destroys that narrative that people are leaving because of the huge tax burden, but I don’t expect those on the far right will acknowledge that.
Comment by PublicServant Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:21 pm
It is going to make for an interesting state and aldermanic redistricting
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:22 pm
==Kind of destroys that narrative that people are leaving because of the huge tax burden==
Seems like there is a far more sinister narrative in play by whatever party has been running Chicago.
Comment by City Zen Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:31 pm
Chicago has lost 40% of it’s manufacturing jobs since 2000. No jobs, no future, no reason to stick around.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:40 pm
That’s a pretty poor article. There are two sides to African-Americans leaving cities–which isn’t just a Chicago Trend. The Sociologist cites some of the negative ones though she leaves out a huge one in obsolete housing in near suburbs is now very cheap and allows lower income African-Americans to move into the suburbs.
On the positive side, slowly growing, but growing African-American middle class like the one dang anecdote they included which is counter to every other point in the article, less outright discrimination in housing (still there, but has gotten better), and more job opportunities for African-Americans in the suburbs.
Comment by ArchPundit Monday, May 8, 17 @ 12:58 pm
You don’t think having the highest sales taxes in America, the second highest property taxes and the 5th highest combined state and local tax burden disproportionally affect the poorest African Americans?
It is also our terrible business environment that drives high paying manufacturing jobs from Illinois
I don’t think the elected representatives of the community think either one of these are a problem
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:02 pm
The article also forgets the increase in subsidized housing in the burbs and the number of African Americans who have moved here in part due to better public education than in the City.
Comment by Bogey Golfer Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:09 pm
=the second highest property taxes=
Relative to values and other major cities, Chicago (and Cook County in general) have low-middle property taxes.
Although a state multiplier is applied, Cook County taxes at 10% of fair market value.
Nice try, as usual your facts are not facts.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:10 pm
===the second highest property taxes===
… and yet it doesn’t compare to the higher suburban Chicago rates, areas that border Chicago.
Ugh.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:12 pm
Power brokers looking to redraw congressional districts like this trend seeing that the most valuable IL congressional seat covers downtown Chicago.
Comment by Rocky Rosi Monday, May 8, 17 @ 1:35 pm
“Cook County taxes at 10% of fair market value.”
But property tax in the City and County is levy based–that is, the government sets the amount to collect, and that’s divided over the aggregate assessed value. The assessment could be 200% of FMV, and it would change the amount collected.
Comment by Chris Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:01 pm
JS Mill
care to cite a source for your claim that Chicago property taxes are low compared to other major cities?
The state of Illinois is known for its high property taxes. Illinois currently holds the second highest median property tax rate in the country at 2.32%. The national average property tax rate is 1.13%. Only New Jersey’s median tax rate of 2.38% is higher.
Chicago at 2.1% is higher than
New York at 1.93%
LA at .79%
lower than Houston is at 2.29% but they have 0% state income tax
Philadelphia at .93%
Do you dispute these facts? Please fill us on on the real story, where no one flees Illinois because of our high tax burden.
http://www.movoto.com/foundation/property-taxes/chicago-property-tax-how-does-it-compare-to-other-major-cities/
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:07 pm
President Obama has been in the news this week commenting on his Library as well as other current events, including the reality that the crime in Chicago is diminishing Chicago’s stature.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-rahm-emanuel-barack-obama-library-politics-met-20170505-story.html
Interesting President Obama is throwing shade towards the Mayor but not accepting any personal responsibility as the elected representative from a big part of this community for many of the years in question.
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:22 pm
===care to cite a source for your claim that Chicago property taxes are low compared to other major cities?===
The rates are lower than those rates in suburban Chicago.
That’s enough of an eye-opener
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:23 pm
=Kind of destroys that narrative that people are leaving because of the huge tax burden=
Kind of shows you have assumptions about people based on their skin pigmentation.
Comment by Robert the 1st Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:33 pm
@Chris- the Lvey is based on EAV- which is 10% of the fair market value in Cook County. Other than the way EAV is calculated it works the same for everyone.
@LP- Lol you may want to read that article yourself.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:36 pm
this has been going on for some time now. explaining the redistricting…as DuPage Saint states….should be very interesting. there is a quote from Eva Longoria in the Sunday papers about how under represented Hispanics are in tv/film culture, alarmingly so when you consider that Hispanics are the second largest group in this country after caucasians. Oscars so Anglo might be the most accurate message. this representation imbalance extends to other areas as well, especially in the City. Population math should be a message out there long before the redistricting has to happen.
Comment by Amalia Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:41 pm
No assumptions on skin pigmentation just indisputable data.
People tend to leave , no matter what color they are if they can’t find work. Illinois black unemployment is highest in the nation.
President Trump’s pitch to these voters was what do you have to lose?
A better question is why does this community reelect the same failed leaders who have been in office for decades?
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2016/12/21/illinois-black-unemployment-rate-highest-nation
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:56 pm
it is an eye opener which is why fighting for a better property tax freeze bill is worth it
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 2:58 pm
===it is an eye opener which is why fighting for a better property tax freeze bill is worth it===
But you said Chicago is high, but the suburbs are higher, and people are moving out to the suburbs… so… what are you saying? LOL
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 8, 17 @ 3:13 pm
Where did I say people are moving to the suburbs?
The article says these people are leaving the area entirely. The data backs that up that Illinois leads the nation in out migration.
Read the post before you throw shade at me. Do you see why the property tax freeze is a huge issue?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 3:18 pm
===Where did I say people are moving to the suburbs?===
Oh, no, you didn’t. I’m just enjoying mocking you that you’re so concerned about Chicago property taxes, that suburban property tax rates are higher, so what are you saying comparing Chicago to other “cities”.
===The article says these people are leaving the area entirely. The data backs that up that Illinois leads the nation in out migration.===
I thought that was because of term limits, or is that why businesses won’t come here, LOL…
===Read the post before you throw shade at me.===
I was responding to your ignorance on statewide property taxes. You seem to be confused that Chicago is the worst in Illinois. It isn’t.
===Do you see why the property tax freeze is a huge issue?===
Then why the attachment, so often, to decimate labor with property taxes. You know, collective bargaining and prevailing wage on that freeze…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 8, 17 @ 3:27 pm
Where did I say Chicago’s property taxes are the worst in Illinois?
JS Mill said Chicago’s taxes were low compared to other major cities- meaning MAJOR cities, not Oswego and Chicago suburbs
I quoted how Chicago compares to the major cities in the Midwest and the rest of the country.
You don’t have to respond to every post particularly if you are going to misrepresent what I say
I haven’t been to Oswego in a while but if you consider it a major city I will take your word for it
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 8, 17 @ 3:36 pm
How much of the loss in Black population is due to killings and imprisonment?
Comment by Anon Monday, May 8, 17 @ 4:15 pm
===JS Mill said Chicago’s taxes were low compared to other major cities- meaning MAJOR cities, not Oswego and Chicago suburbs
I quoted how Chicago compares to the major cities in the Midwest and the rest of the country.===
The property taxes are cheaper in Chicago than the state.
Your concern for Chicago property taxes undercuts your argument about property taxes, pensions, and debt.
Your trolling about “other cities” isn’t holding water to the premise “Chicago is larger” when just outside the city, it’s even greater.
===I haven’t been to Oswego in a while but if you consider it a major city I will take your word for it===
Before it’s said and done in Illinois, Oswego will have her say.
So there’s that…
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 8, 17 @ 4:29 pm
Wow, a lot of misinformation here. African Americans are fleeing all NYC, LA and Chicago. The difference is, Chicago doesn’t have as much immigration as NYC or LA, so we are losing population.
If you live in Chicago and pay 2.1% of your homes value in RE tax, you are a sucker. Most people pay around 1.4-1.7%.
NYC and LA property owners pay a lot more in RE taxes than those in Chicago.
The fastest growing income demographic is the $100K+ household in the City of Chicago. The lower income levels are those that are declining. I personally think this is good as Chicago had been for decades the dumping ground for the regions poor.
Comment by Ron Monday, May 8, 17 @ 4:48 pm
CA’s income taxes are beyond outrageous, they top out over 10%. NY’s are very high as well.
Comment by Ron Monday, May 8, 17 @ 4:52 pm
Aww, LP, you didn’t read your own article.
THAT is precious. At least you didn’t dodge this time. (Think- every budget Rauner has proposed is unbalanced-why?)…crickets.
Any who- in your article…Chicago’s tax rate is in the (wait for it) middle of Midwestern cities cited.
Forbes does not include Chicago in it’s list of top five major cities and your artcile states the following…
“It is likely that Illinois’ relatively low state income tax has something to do with the higher property taxes. Illinois has a flat income tax rate of 3.75%, while New York and California have a graduated income tax rate of 6.45% and 9.3% respectively for the median household income of $50,000. If you want to live in a large U.S. city with low income taxes, but high property and sales taxes, then Chicago is the city for you”
So, pick your poison if you want to live in a big city. You are going to pay one way or another.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, May 8, 17 @ 6:46 pm
Lucky has his talkin’ points and he’s stickin’ to ‘em.
Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 8:27 am
Safe neighborhoods and good schools caused my African American neighbors to leave.
Taxes weren’t the cause at all. Period.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, May 9, 17 @ 8:52 am