By: Nick Binotti and John Klingner
We reported recently how Chicago’s metro area lost population again for the third year in a row. Those same U.S. Census estimates show that population losses across the state remain widespread: 87 of Illinois’ 102 counties experienced population loss over the past year, with losses for the state totaling 32,826 residents.
Those losses are all a part of Illinois’ long-running shrinkage. Illinois was one of only three states to lose population between 2010 and 2020 and since then it has lost another 300,000 people.
The state’s biggest losing county in 2023 was Cook County, which suffered a loss of 24,500 people – the 4th-worst population loss nationally among counties. St. Clair County was next, losing just over 1,200 in population. Lake, Madison and Macon counties rounded out the bottom five.
Of the 15 counties to increase in population, Will County had the largest gain, up by nearly 2,700 people. Kendall County was up by 2,500 and had the best percentage gain of any county with a 1.8 percent increase. McHenry, Kane and Grundy counties rounded out the top five.
Looking at population on a regional basis, 2023 continued the same pattern Wirepoints has seen in years past: Cook and the downstate counties shrank while the collar counties made minimal gains. Collectively, the collars gained about 3,200 people while downstate lost over 11,500.
The downward trend continues
93 of Illinois’ 102 counties shrank over the three-year period of 2020-2023, losing over 256,000 people. Just 9 counties grew with a collective population increase of just 15,600.
The state’s biggest loser remains Cook County with nearly 177,000 people lost since 2020. DuPage County was next, losing just over 10,000 in population. St. Clair, Lake and Winnebago counties rounded out the top five losers.
The biggest winner this decade has been Kendall County, which gained a little over 7,600 people. Will, McHenry, and Grundy counties were next with gains of 1,000 to 4,000 people. The remaining five gaining counties all reported population increases of less than 100 people.
Cook County vs. the nation
Cook County, the nation’s 2nd-largest county, had the 4th-worst population loss among the nation’s 20 most populous counties, behind Los Angeles County and two counties in the New York City metro area.
Conversely, the nation’s biggest winners, Harris County (Houston), Texas and Maricopa County (Phoenix), Arizona – the nation’s 3rd and 4th most populous counties – gained 54,000 and 30,000 residents, respectively.
The Census estimates show a continued trend of population loss in Illinois. So, too, do a half dozen other indicators, from the decline in student enrollment to the flight of the well-educated. However you measure it, Illinois’ downward trend is clear.
Read more from Wirepoints:
- The well-educated are fleeing Illinois, too
- Big red states gain, big blue states drain when it comes to 2023 population growth – A Wirepoints 50-state survey
- ‘Illinois is growing,’ claims yet another group of political elites. It’s not true.
- Walmart’s flight from Chicago: ‘Corporate racism?’ Or crime, taxes and dysfunction?
With $162 billion more from taxpayers, couldn’t you deliver a few bond upgrades, too
Audio and summary 
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
This site is turning into a joke! The top article on a Monday morning is a census, and this is after the same article was posted yesterday? How many times have you guys posted a population loss article and energized the move out trolls? Why am I not surprised Wirepoints and paid trolls are claiming it’s hopeless and everyone is going to vote Democrat? Never mind that Wirepoints research directly contradicts the Democrat omnipotence myth. It’s really looking like the goal is to keep the conservatives demoralized and feeling unwelcome.
How long can ‘whack-a-mole’ go on in IL? Pritzker and the Democrats refuse to change their ways, so problems persist and they create new ones.
One group we do hope to demoralize is those who prefer censoring the bad news, like you, Dave.
Oh i see little Mark is taking down the factual freemason comments. Are you afraid of the truth little Mark, is there a freemason lodge you attend?
Yes, as well is the rest of his nutty stuff about satanism. The window is open pretty wide these days on what conspiracy theories are plausible enough to allow, but pure nutjobs need to find a different site.
Cencesorship is wrong. As long as the writer does not attack a person or group for harm their views should be allowed. Let the readers decide what they like or dislike.
How is population loss bad news? It is just news, telling a story about how the population feels. Lots of people like it (good news) when it gets less crowded. Chicago told Ken Griffin do not let the door hit you on your way out.
Guess you’re gonna need more pamphlets.
I am sure these articles and paid trolls are not the main factor in energizing people to move out. In our case, it was property taxes, the multitude of other increasing taxes, pension debt, and seeing no return on these taxes. We only saw an increasing hold on government by the Democrats through gerrymandering and union support. When less than a third of voters show up for a mayoralty election and most of those were CTU and SEIU supporters, the handwriting is on the wall. Wake up, Dave, you, the one voter, are getting buried.
St Clair County, the home of the infamous traitor Dick “Taliban” Durbin
The demolition of housing projects and handing out of rent vouchers ( along with construction of new “ mixed income “ housing in places such as Manhattan and New Lenox) has the intended effect. Start shipping the “never worked, never will”crowd out into the sticks and let them deal with an uptick in crime, etc. You can’t stop it folks. Grin, bear it and thank the progressives.
The collar counties are picking up liberals moving out of Cook County. The problem is that those liberals continue to vote Democrat, so they’ll ruin their new counties the way they ruined their previous county. Democrats are like parasites. They eat their host until it’s dead, then move on to another host.
The downstate counties are losing good Americans, who want nothing to do with the dumpster fire that is Illinois.
Like a dripping faucet the water is lost,
Cannot stop it without replacing the cartridge or washer but wait all of the good
Plumbers have left. Squeezeee the python
Continues to tighten and take all the money for pensions. The “ usual gang of
Idiots “ continues to bark out all is well we
Are fine, stay calm and pay.
Nothing changes the results will not change, tell the band to start playing,
“ nearer my God to thee “
Numbers in the article don’t seem to match those on the map.
dont know about the numbers but the reality is the same,
people are leaving and the beat goes on.
The map compares 2023 to 2020. The other charts compare 2023 to 2022.