A brief presentation of recent population trends in Illinois from 2010 to 2017 along with related commentary. This is part of an ongoing series of presentations on topics relevant to Illinois and the U.S. midwest.

1. An Overview of
Recent Population
Trends in Illinois
Brian Harger, MS, EDFP, EGc
Research Associate
June, 2018

2. Synopsis
• After several decades of modest growth, Illinois’
population began declining in 2013. According to
estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the State
of Illinois experienced a net loss of just over
77,000 between 2013 and 2017.
• While the losses were more acute in the rural
and “downstate” metropolitan areas, the Chicago
metro area also suffered at net loss of 134 in the
same period which is unprecedented after
decades of continuous growth.
• Although population losses in rural Illinois are
part of a longer-term trend, growth in the
Chicago area and some of the downstate metro
areas had previously been more than enough to
offset them, but this no longer seems to be the
case.
• Between 2016 and 2017, only 24 of Illinois’ 102
counties experienced any population growth and
only 12 have had net gains so far in this decade.
18,434
10,786
8,707
-11,961
-28,497
-37,508
484
32,548
23,586
20,289
7,264
-8,678
-17,796
19,076
2,128
-4,293
-1,451
-10,890
-10,685
-10,233
-9,619
-5,296
-8,507
-10,131
-8,335
-9,134
-9,479
-8,973
-40000
-30000
-20000
-10000
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
PopulationChange
Year-over-Year
Population Change (2010-2017)
State of Illinois
Chicago Metro Area
Downstate Metro Areas
Non-Metropolitan Counties
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2000-2017.

3. Illinois Population Change by County
Percent Change
2016-2017
Percent Change
2010-2017
10.0% or more
5.0% to 9.9%
0.1% to 4.9%
No Change
-0.1% to -4.9%
-5.0% to -9.9%
-10.0% or more

4. Illinois Metro Areas: Population Change 2016-2017
Metropolitan Area
Population Change (2016-2017) Percent
Change
Since 20102016 2017 Number Percent
Chicago* 8,643,822 8,662,898 19,076 0.2 0.9
Champaign-Urbana 238,554 239,124 -11 n/c 3.1
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
(IL part)
209,794 209,754 -40 n/c -2.2
Kankakee 110,008 109,605 -448 -0.4 -3.4
Bloomington 188,847 188,232 -615 -0.3 1.1
Danville 78,560 77,909 -651 -0.8 -4.6
Decatur 106,550 105,801 -850 -0.8 -4.5
Carbondale-Marion 126,430 125,612 -1,060 -0.8 -0.8
St. Louis (IL part) 689,966 688,786 -1,180 -0.2 -2.1
Springfield 209,990 208,697 -1,293 -0.6 -0.7
Rockford 339,650 338,291 -1,359 -0.4 -3.2
Peoria 375,600 372,427 -3,173 -0.8 -1.8
*The Chicago metro area includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties in Illinois.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.
Decatur
Bloomington
Danville
Kankakee
Rockford
Champaign-
Urbana
Carbondale-
Marion
Peoria
Chicago
Springfield
St. Louis
(IL part)
Davenport-Rock Island-
Moline (IL part)

5. Illinois Counties: Top 10 Population Gains 2016-2017
County
Population Change (2016-2017) Percent
Change
Since 20102016 2017 Number Percent
Cook County 5,203,499 5,211,263 7,764 0.2 0.3
Will County 689,529 692,661 3,132 0.5 2.2
Kane County 531,715 534,667 2,952 0.6 3.8
McHenry County 307,004 309,122 2,118 0.7 0.1
Kendall County 124,695 126,218 1,523 1.2 10.0
Champaign County 208,419 209,399 980 0.5 4.1
DuPage County 929,368 930,128 760 0.1 1.4
Lake County 703,047 703,520 473 0.1 >0.1
Mason County 13,507 13,715 208 1.5 -6.5
DeKalb County 104,528 104,733 205 0.2 -0.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.
McHenry
DeKalb
Champaign
Mason
Kane
Kendall
DuPage
Will
Lake
Cook

6. Illinois Counties: Top 10 Population Losses 2016-2017
County
Population Change (2016-2017) Percent
Change Since
20102016 2017 Number Percent
Morgan County 34,277 33,798 -479 -1.4 -4.9
Hancock County 18,508 18,020 -488 -2.6 -5.7
Stephenson County 45,624 45,054 -570 -1.3 -5.6
LaSalle County 110,642 110,067 -575 -0.5 -3.4
Jackson County 58,870 58,284 -586 -1.0 -3.2
Macon County 106,550 105,801 -749 -0.7 -4.5
Tazewell County 134,385 133,526 -859 -0.6 -1.4
Sangamon County 197,499 196,452 -1,047 -0.5 -0.5
Winnebago County 285,873 284,778 -1,095 -0.4 -3.6
Peoria County 185,006 183,011 -1,995 -1.1 -1.9
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.
Sangamon
Peoria
Tazewell
Stephenson
Hancock
Morgan
Macon
LaSalle
Jackson
Winnebago

7. Illinois Cities: Top 10 Population Gains 2016-2017
City, County
Population Change (2016-2017) Percent
Change
Since 20102016 2017 Number Percent
Plainfield, Will 42,978 43,926 948 2.2% 10.2%
North Aurora, Kane 17,474 18,245 771 4.4% 9.1%
Pingree Grove, Kane 7,459 8,165 706 9.5% 80.2%
Bolingbrook, Will/DuPage 74,496 75,201 705 0.9% 2.5%
Itasca, DuPage 8,746 9,416 670 7.7% 8.9%
Champaign, Champaign 86,877 87,432 555 0.6% 7.6%
Yorkville, Kendall 18,845 19,388 543 2.9% 14.5%
Huntley, McHenry/Kane 26,711 27,207 496 1.9% 11.9%
Naperville, DuPage/Will 147,194 147,682 488 0.3% 3.9%
New Lenox, Will 26,167 26,575 408 1.6% 9.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.
To view an interactive map showing population changes for Illinois municipalities, follow this link:
http://webmaps.illinoisdata.com/NIUAdmin/CityPopulationChange.html

8. Illinois Cities: Top 10 Population Losses 2016-2017
City, County
Population Change (2016-2017) Percent
Change
Since 20102016 2017 Number Percent
Chicago, Cook 2,720,275 2,716,450 -3,825 -0.1% 0.8%
Peoria, Peoria 114,351 112,883 -1,468 -1.3% -1.9%
Springfield, Sangamon 115,734 114,868 -866 -0.7% -1.4%
Cicero, Cook 83,323 82,552 -771 -0.9% -2.0%
Rockford, Winnebago 147,800 147,051 -749 -0.5% -4.1%
Decatur, Macon 72,805 72,174 -631 -0.9% -5.2%
Evanston, Cook 75,338 74,756 -582 -0.8% 0.4%
Skokie, Cook 64,529 63,978 -551 -0.9% -1.3%
Berwyn, Cook 56,067 55,550 -517 -0.9% -1.9%
Schaumburg, Cook/DuPage 74,692 74,184 -508 -0.7% -0.1%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.
To view an interactive map showing population changes for Illinois municipalities, follow this link:
http://webmaps.illinoisdata.com/NIUAdmin/CityPopulationChange.html

9. Sources of Population Change
• Two factors seem to have precipitated the recent
population decline in Illinois: declining birth rates and
increased domestic out-migration.
• Illinois has experienced an increased net out-flow of
domestic migrants for many years, but until recently
(since 2013) international migration and the natural
increase in population has been enough to offset
these losses.
• The decline in birth rates over the past 15 years
contributes to the overall population decline. It is
unclear if there will be any significant turnaround in
birth rates given the aging of the general population
and the established trends in family formation.
• The aging of the population is also a factor as the
relatively large “Baby Boom” generation reaches
mortality over the next 20 years and the generations
following the Boomers are much smaller.
Components of Population Change
Year-over-Year (2010-2017)
Period
Total Population
Change 1
Natural
Increase 2
Net Migration
Total International 3 Domestic
2010-2011 27,277 66,349 -39,219 27,233 -66,452
2011-2012 15,503 59,850 -44,321 29,132 -73,453
2012-2013 13,943 56,774 -39,562 27,751 -67,313
2013-2014 -9,972 53,564 -62,503 32,453 -94,956
2014-2015 -22,194 52,207 -67,535 37,682 -105,217
2015-2016 -37,508 47,198 -83,210 30,934 -114,144
2016-2017 -33,703 47,161 -81,080 33,699 -114,779
1 Total population change includes a residual. This residual represents the change in
population that cannot be attributed to any specific demographic component.
2 Natural Increase is the difference between resident births minus resident deaths.
3 Net international migration for the United States includes the international migration of
both native and foreign-born populations. Specifically, it includes: (a) the net international
migration of the foreign born, (b) the net migration between the United States and Puerto
Rico, (c) the net migration of natives to and from the United States, and (d) the net
movement of the Armed Forces population between the United States and overseas.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Estimates of the Components of Resident
Population Change, 2010-2017.

10. Characteristics of Population Change
• Women are delaying child-bearing and are having
fewer children.
• It is also likely that the economy has played a role
in the this as well, given that the number of births
took a noticeable dip following the last recession.
• Between 2000 and 2017, resident births in the
State of Illinois declined by 16.8%.
• The impact is already being felt in many school
systems with declining enrollments in the primary
grades.
• It is also being felt by employers as they try to
replace retiring workers and are competing for a
smaller pool of young adults entering the
workforce.
185,003
180,530
153,991
150,000
160,000
170,000
180,000
190,000
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Resident Births (2000 - 2017)
State of Illinois
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Vital Statistics, 2000-2016;
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, 2017.

11. Characteristics of Population Change
• The effect of the declining birthrate is reflected in
the losses among the younger age cohorts. The
number of Illinoisans under age 18 has slipped by
nearly 232,000 or 7.4% in this decade.
• The younger working-aged population (those
between 18 and 39 years old) also declined, albeit
by smaller margins. These groups had a net loss of
58,000 (-2.7%).
• In addition, older working-aged groups (those
between 35 and 54 years) also experienced
significant declines (-274,000 or -7.6%).
• The losses among the younger working-age groups
is of the greatest concern because they represent
the largest group of workers and taxpayers, as well
as prime age groups for family formation.
• The aging of the population is also very evident.
The population 55 years of age and older increased
by 529,000 or 17.2%.
-62,528
-108,846
-60,620
-51,204
-6,707
6,823
-3,834
-82,888
-106,072
-81,899
71,896
121,085
156,128
111,326
42,360
-4,614
30,985
-150,000
-100,000
-50,000
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
Population Change by Age Group (2010 - 2017)
State of Illinois

12. Characteristics of Population Change
• The White and Black or African-American race
groups still comprise the largest segments of the
population (77.1% and 14.6% in 2017, respectively),
but have been declining in the present decade.
• Asians make up the fastest growing segment of
Illinois’ population, increasing by 125,000 between
2000 and 2017 and currently account for 5.7% of
the 2017 population.
• The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander and
those of Two or More Races have also experienced
significant increases. However, they account for
0.1% and 2.0%, respectively, of the State’s
population.
• Hispanics experienced a net gain of nearly 182,000
between 2010 and 2017. They now account for 2.2
million or 17.3% of Illinois’ population.
-1.7%
-1.6%
2.7%
20.7%
12.6%
18.9%
9.0%
-1.9%
White
Black or African American
American Indian and Alaska Native
Asian
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Two or More Races
Hispanic Population
Non-Hispanic Population
Population Change by Race & Ethnicity (2010 – 2017)
State of Illinois

13. Further Information
Contact
Brian L. Harger, MS, EDFP, EGc
Research Associate
Center for Governmental Studies
Northern Illinois University
148 North Third Street
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
(P) 815.753.0934
(E) bharger@niu.edu
(LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianharger/
Selected Resources
Walzer N. and Harger B., “The Future of Rural Illinois: Predicaments and Possible
Solutions” Policy Profiles. Vol. 18, No. 1, June 2018. DeKalb: Center for
Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Walzer N. and Harger B., “The Rural Exodus: What Should be Done to Respond to
the Loss of Rural Population” Illinois Issues. August 10, 2017. DeKalb: Center for
Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Walzer N. and Harger B., “Unemployment, Labor Force Participation and The
Illinois Work Force ” Policy Profiles. Vol. 17, No. 1, June 2017. DeKalb: Center for
Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Blanke A. and Walzer N., “Workforce Turnover and Replacement In Downstate
Illinois” Policy Profiles. Vol. 15, No. 3, October 2015. DeKalb: Center for
Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Blanke A. and Walzer N., “Illinois in the Post-Recession Recovery: A Fresh Look at
the State’s Progress” Policy Profiles. Vol. 13, No. 2, October 2014. DeKalb: Center
for Governmental Studies, Northern Illinois University.
Walzer N. and Harger B., “The Rural Midwest: How is it Faring? ” Rural Research
Report. Vol. 23, No. 1, 2012. Macomb: Illinois institute for Rural Affairs, Western
Illinois University.
Walzer N. and Harger B., “Population Trends in Downstate Illinois” Rural
Research Report. Vol. 23, No. 1, 2012. Macomb: Illinois institute for Rural Affairs,
Western Illinois University.