Of the 10 Illinois cities that experienced the most population growth according to the most recent census data, seven were in the Chicago area.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 population estimates released in mid-May revealed that while Chicago appeared to be losing some of its population, others saw considerable growth.
According to the data, Chicago lost about 0.3% of its population between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, raising concerns that the Windy City could lose its former spot as the third-largest city in United States if the trend continues.
Meanwhile, two small communities in McHenry County, Wonder Lake and Union, experienced 9.39% population growth, the highest in Illinois. A few percentage points behind was the town of Volo in Lake County;
reported a population increase of 6.56%. Deer Grove in Whiteside County, along the Iowa border in northwestern Illinois, and Grafton, a town near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in Jersey County, rounded out the top five.
Those two communities experienced increases of 5.71% and 4.79%, respectively.
Of Illinois’ more than 1,000 municipalities, including cities, towns and villages, these are the 10 communities that experienced the greatest population growth from 2022 to 2023:
As a whole, Illinois was also estimated to have lost population in the past year, although the state has already raised objections to the census data.
The 2020 census found that Illinois had lost just over 18,000 residents over a 10-year span, or about 0.1% of its population. But Illinois officials said the state actually gained residents between 2010 and 2020.
According to officials, more than 700 “group quarters” were missed or undercounted as part of the 2020 census. More than 40,000 people residing in nursing homes or senior living facilities were determined to have been missed, along with nearly 6,000 residents in dormitories and other student residences.
The recounted residents will not be added to the official total of 12,812,508 from that census, but officials say the count will affect how year-over-year projections are calculated, resulting in additional federal funds for the state.
Despite the growth in North Aurora, the largest city in Illinois, Aurora also lost population, the data showed, falling from an estimated 177,931 to 177,563.
“The U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent population estimates are as flawed and erroneous as the reported counts from the 2020 census,” Mayor Richard Irvin said in a statement when the data was first released. “The 2020 Census Bureau data shows nationwide undercounts, and using those incorrect numbers to provide additional estimates is absolutely absurd. We know that Aurora did not experience a loss of 17,000 residents in 2020, and we reject the notion that we lost about 3,000 more in the past three years. That’s why we’re conducting a special Census count, although the process to do so has been arduous at best.”
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