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(The Center Square) – As population growth in the nation’s largest counties rebounded in 2022, Illinois continued to see population losses.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates, 92 of Illinois’ 102 counties lost residents from July 2021 to July of last year. Cook County lost a staggering 68,314 people, the second highest total by number in the country behind only Los Angeles County.
Mark Glennon, founder of the nonprofit Wirepoints, said high taxes are just one of the reasons for the exodus.
“The economy, crime of course, is the big one right now that is driving people out of Chicago and other places,” Glennon said.
Other Illinois counties that lost a large amount of residents include Lake County at around 3,000, St. Clair County at 2,300, and Kane County lost 2,000 people.
Despite the nonpartisan data from the Census Bureau, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois’ population is increasing.
“We did not lose population as you saw when the Census Bureau data came through for the 2020 census,” Pritzker said. “We actually gained population especially as they looked more closely after the initial announcements at what happened state to state.”
Glennon disagrees and said he expects the trend to continue as a result of those responsible for running state government.
“A recent Trafalgar poll showed that some 7 percent say they’re going to move in the next three years to a place that is more politically likable to them,” said Glennon.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois’ population has dropped for nine consecutive years. Only West Virginia has a longer streak. During that time, Illinois has lost 516,000 people, larger than the populations of Rockford, Aurora and Naperville combined.
Illinois has lost 10 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1930, and recently lost a congressional seat.