Illinois’ population declines for 9th consecutive year

Report outmigration in 2022 pushed Illinois’ inhabitants become the crimson for the ninth straight 12 months, the second-longest streak within the nation, the Census Bureau reported.

Illinois’ inhabitants declined for the ninth consecutive 12 months in 2022, with a file 104,437 residents misplaced from July 2021-July 2022, in line with estimates launched Dec. 22 by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The one state that’s inhabitants has been in decline longer than Illinois, West Virginia, presently is struggling its tenth consecutive 12 months of inhabitants decline.

New York, which was the one state to undergo from a bigger decline relative to inhabitants measurement, has skilled inhabitants decline for seven straight years. Of Illinois’ neighboring states, solely Michigan is presently experiencing consecutive years of inhabitants decline, indicating one thing distinctive is driving folks out of Illinois.

Historically, the foremost causes Illinoisans are selecting to go away the state have been for higher housing and employment alternatives, each of which have been made worse by poor public coverage in Illinois. Practically half of Illinoisans have considered transferring away, and so they mentioned taxes had been their No. 1 motive. Inhabitants decline additionally contributes to the decrease financial prospects of the state.

The file variety of residents who left Illinois this 12 months ought to be a wake-up name to the state’s leaders, who refuse to undertake insurance policies that might make it simpler for residents to remain in Illinois. Reforms that might ease Illinoisans’ tax burden or cut back arduous enterprise rules are wanted to make the state extra inexpensive and cease the departures.