ChicagoTribune: For the third consecutive year, Illinois has lost more residents than any other state, losing 37,508 people in 2016, which puts its population at the lowest it has been in nearly a decade, according to U.S. census data released Tuesday.
Illinois is among just eight states to lose residents, putting its population at 12,801,539 people, its lowest since about 2009. Illinois’ population first began to drop in 2014, when the state lost 11,961 people. That number more than doubled in 2015, with a loss of 28,497 people, and further multiplied in 2016.
“Illinois is a part of the country where, in general, during the recession, it held on to (people) who wanted to move to Sun Belt states. Now, it’s losing them,” said William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution who analyzes census data.
“When you have a big state like Illinois, to lose population for three years in a row? That’s cause for alarm,” he added. MORE
By gunfire?
Forget the Syrian refugee crisis, Illinois has a Chicago refugee crisis.
4 1/2 years ago 12 members of my family and myself left the state of Illinois.
Burdensome taxes, anti-business/pro-union climate, stifling debt of state Government, loss of jobs, corruption, the absolute democratic control of the legislature by Chicago (and at the time a Democrat Governor) and no vision for improvement caused us to leave our birth state.
It looks as though we were ahead of the curve. Those that can, will leave.
There’s a reason the democrats control that state and they’ll ride it to it’s total demise. Progressive/socialist/democrat success story … destruction, right out of Obama’s play book.
I’ve been in Illinois for 43 years.
People leaving and people losing family and businesses going bankrupt is how I make money. I couldn’t be in a better state.
Chicago – – the future Detroit.
My friend who lives there is making the move too. He explained to me how screwed up their tax system is.
Well if it’s REgressives leaving, I’m not down with that as they bring their shitty politics with them-saw it decimate CO as well heeled CA and OR REgressives would sell their crappy homes for a half million & drive up real estate prices(and hence taxes) and vote for whack-os where I lived.
If it downstaters, c’mon over to Texas. It’s even hotter here in the summers and there’s no Ohio River to flood you out.
There fleeing faster than a speeding bullet.
The corrupt Chicago demand machine has bled the state dry. Illinois was once one of the most prosperous states in the nation, but insane taxes, onerous government regulation, and the states fiscal irresponsibility ruined that. People in the rest of Illinois pretty much hate Chicago and would be happy to see it slide into Lake Michigan.
Chicago dem machine. Autocorrect strikes again.
Death spiral if the folks leaving are in the higher income levels and the replacements are at the lower end.
A few more years and they won’t be able to kick the can down the road. Illinois will be overwhelmed by the pension obligations and bankruptcy the only option to correct the imbalance. I would be worried if I was a state pensioner.
They found out how much they would owe just to make the public pension system somewhat balanced!
Gee! I wonder why so many are leaving. Hmmm! Taxes, Chicago corruption, taxes, turnpike fees, taxes, gas prices, Rahm, murder, taxes, Democrat control of Chicago and state government. I moved to Rock Island in ’88. It had John Deere, JI Case,International Harvester. Today, zero, zip, nada yet the Dems still vote for these clowns. Welfare is a beautiful thing.
“Lost” huh?
“Escaped” maybe?
izlamo delenda est …
Don’t know where they are all going but please, if you can, do not come to California-we have way to many problems here than try to help you. Heck, I once was going to move to Oregon ( had friends there that said, come on up ) but when we arrived-it wasn’t such a warm welcome so we came back. 🙁 oh well, my home is where I hang my hat. 🙂
Yea, take out the Shitcago stats and its normal average state (Illinois) 😉
michael – I worked at that IH for a couple of months. There used to be a ‘supper club’ there that had illegal gambling in the back. You had to know someone in order to get in the gambling rooms. Except once every 4 years. That’s when the Sheriff was up for re-election. They’d let all sort of rubes in, then the Sheriff would raid the place, but up the machines and arrest the rubes. Big story with pix in the newspapers. Sheriff would win re-election, the mob would put newer machines in for the regulars. Business as usual for another 4 years.
Then there was the whorehouse and its name listed in the phone book was all the initials of the girls that worked there. Unpronounceable, but easy to spot.
They are not lost and they are busy heading for a neighborhood near you with their socialistic ideals, anti-American hate, moral phobic social views and a tax and spend philosophy branded on them like tattoos’!
The gangs are helping put them in Caskets
Look at the election results.
There are 102 counties – 99 of them somewhat vote Republican, but they get overwhelmed by the three Democrat counties:
– Cook County – Think Chicago
– St. Clair County – Think E. St. Louis
– Alexandria County – Think Cairo
This is what would happen to America without the electoral college – a few Democrat enclaves would swamp the rest of the country’s votes.
Also, the Democrat Party voted in a complete nutcase named Mike Madigan. He is Speaker of the House and also controls the state Democrat Party.
If a Democrat bucks against him they get punished to the point of Madigan running and funding a Democrat opponent – you will lose.
Madigan runs a law firm that appeals tax assessments. His buddy runs the Chicago Assessor’s office. How cozy that is? You don’t like your property tax assessment? Call the Madigan Law Office. He can fix it (for a big fee).
@Joe
AND Mike’s daughter is The Attorney General of the State of Illinois – Lisa Madigan
Illinois, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know and how much are you willing to pay.
they’re all just probably despondent that the Obama’s won’t be coming back
…yeah, that’s it!