By: Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner and Nick Binotti
It was another year of population losses for Chicago and the overwhelming majority of Illinois cities in 2023. That’s according to the latest data published this week by the U.S. Census Bureau in its “2023 City and Town Population Estimates.”
Chicago’s population loss of 8,208 was the nation’s third-largest, behind only New York and Philadelphia’s. Chicago’s losses follow drops of nearly 40,000 in 2021 and 31,000 in 2022. Since the last Census in 2020, Chicago has lost nearly 3 percent of its population, losses that stand in sharp contrast to the 4%-plus gains in cities like San Antonio, Charlotte and Fort Worth.
The Census also reported that population dropped in 93 of the 122 Illinois cities with 20,000 or more in population. That’s 75% of the state’s largest cities.
Illinois’ ongoing struggles with population and outmigration reflect the ongoing public policy failures of the last few decades and which continue to this day. High taxes, crime, and the overall lack of opportunity – wrapped in concerns over corruption – have made Illinois one of the few shrinking states in the country. Illinois was one of just three states in the country, along with Mississippi and West Virginia, to lose population during the last 2010-2020 Census count.
Below we provide greater detail on the Census’ latest estimates.
1. Comparing 2023 vs. 2022 among the nation’s 20-largest cities, Chicago lost the 3rd-most people. As a share of population, Chicago’s losses also ranked 3rd-worst.
2. Comparing 2023 vs. 2020, when the last full Census count was done, Chicago lost the 2nd-most people among the nation’s 20 largest cities – nearly 80,000. As a share of population, Chicago ranked 5th-worst.
3. The Census reported that 93 of Illinois’ 122 cities with a population greater than 20,000 also lost population. That’s 75% of all cities. We lay out the data for Illinois’ 20 largest cities.
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
- New Census release: 2023 data shows counties across Illinois still losing population
- ‘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?
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
The big money earners are fleeing Illinois in record numbers.
Gonzalez has been CEO and chairman of Chicago-based AbbVie since it was spun off from Abbott Laboratories in 2012. The drugmaker’s portfolio includes Botox, Humira, Skyrizi, and Rinvoq, all of which are billion-dollar revenue producers, according to published reports. AbbVie reached $54.3 billion in revenue in 2023.
AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez is the latest heavy hitter to buy in Boca Raton. The pharma boss dropped $14.3 million on a waterfront mansion, following a string of eight-figure deals in the city.
Florida city populations swelled along with the rest of the South, Census Bureau says – Sun Sentinel (sun-sentinel.com)
Carnival Barkers. JB says this isn’t true. Nothing to see here. Move along and pay youze taxes.
It’s home, and if you live in a nice suburb and have enough money to cover the corruption tax, it’s still not terrible. There’s still Lot of economic activity. The big issue is the largest employer is government. This is unsustainable. When you take into consideration the financial mismanagement, along with the silly far left cultish pandering to the whackos, it’s no wonder people who can are leaving. Also, the industrial base of the state is shrinking as well. The only thing keeping us afloat is boatloads of federal money, and that will dry up soon enough. The democrats need… Read more »
Democrats will never change, they’ve been this way since Thomas Jefferson founded the party. They’ll never embrace populism. And like you said, IF you make enough money, this place isn’t too bad. My house in most other desirable suburban areas in the country would be 2x the price at least and 4x the price in CA. But there’s a reason for that, being my five figure real estate tax bill and the terrible weather (although this spring has been fantastic, i’m outside every day this spring). I can mostly avoid the nutty leftist politics in my purplish area but that’s… Read more »
Of course they are all shrinking, civilized human beings are getting as far awayfrom the “I didn’t do nothin” crowd that the Illinois government promotes their “I didnt do nothin” behavior and actions LOL!
This report prompted me to look at the Census Bureau site for other updates. For counties, they estimate housing units as well as population. I discovered that from 2022 to 2023, Cook County is estimated to have lost 24,494 people while gaining 4447 housing units. I conclude that the housing shortage is lessening.
Just what do you expect when the taxman gouges people?
No one likes being gouged. The population loss is only going to get worse as taxes must go much higher to cover the huge pension debt. PPF tells it like it is. The only way to avoid the excessive taxation is to leave and lots of people are doing just that.
PPF is also right saying that not enough people are leaving Illinois to effect change.
Imagine the state of Illinois was a stock. For the last decade that stock would have been losing value while the overall stock market showed gains. Unfortunately, too many people are stubbornly holding onto their Illinois stock. Maybe it’s for sentimental reasons. All I know is those that sold their Illinois stock and reinvested elsewhere are enjoying the dividends.
Yes, but not all dividends of a life well lived are in the financial realm. Other considerations apply as well. You can be happy enough in one aspect of your life while being miserable in others. Its the total picture of one’s life that’s of more importance to most people, I’d guess.
James, your correctly describing the reason as to why people are holding on to the stock while TL is correctly asserting the not enough people are leaving to effect change. As long as the good (family, friends, business clients, better salary) outweighs the bad (high taxes and politics that differ from your own), people will remain in Illinois. Since most people won’t trade a little bit of money for losing their family/friends, most people will stay. A friend of mine was planning on leaving Illinois this year after his son graduated high school. Instead of choosing a college outside of… Read more »
As do I. Most middle-class people put a high priority on financial success, but “money isn’t everything” as Mom used to say.
Money isn’t everything very true, the tax load in Illinois is not a little money.
When property and income taxes hit a point of being oppressive then people
Will be forced to leave or loose the equity in homes. When ones adds up
All of the taxes they are at the oppressive level. When faced with sink or swim most people choose swim.
Yes James, and that is what is worrying about the high incidence of crime in Chicago and other cities. Being the victim of a violent crime is traumatic and will cause people in a stable financial situation to leave. And it goes beyond the stats. If the perception is that violent criminals are rarely held accountable, the exodus accelerates.,
It is also entirely possible that your friend may not know all the facts of what’s going on in Illinois. If he listens to mainstream media there is very little said and he is out of the loop. Not much is said in local newspapers or on TV other than the normal news stories/weather/sports. It’s possible he is on the receiving end of a public job and has little reason to leave. If he reads Wirepoints or other similar websites he would be better informed in general. Media does not tell the story. Many reasons people stay but being uninformed… Read more »
You never mentioned that they stay here because they like it here.
“A little bit of money”, your idea of a little bit of money and mine are very different.
That is probably very true.