Of the 10 Illinois towns that saw the largest population growth in the most recent Census data, seven were in the Chicago area.
U.S. Census Bureau 2023 population estimates released in mid-May revealed that while Chicago appeared to lose some of its population, others saw sizable growth.
According to the data, Chicago lost approximately 0.3% of its population between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, sparking concern the Windy City could lose its longstanding spot as America's third-largest city if the trend continues.
Meanwhile, two small communities in McHenry County - Wonder Lake and Union - experienced 9.39% population growth - the highest out of anywhere in Illinois. A few percentage points behind was the village of Volo in Lake County;
it reported a 6.56% increase in population. Deer Grove in Whiteside County, along the Iowa border in northwest Illinois, and Grafton, a city near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in Jersey County, rounded out the top five.
Those two communities saw increases of 5.71% and 4.79%, respectively.
Out of the more than 1,000 municipalities in Illinois, including cities, towns and villages, here are the 10 communities that saw the greatest population growth from 2022 to 2023:
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As a whole, Illinois was also estimated to have lost population in the last year, though the state has previously filed objections to itsCensus data.
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The 2020 Census found that Illinois had lost just over 18,000 residents in a 10-year span, or approximately 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 individuals residing in care homes or senior living facilities were determined to have been missed, along with nearly 6,000 residents in dormitories and other residence halls.
The recounted residents will not beadded to the official total of 12,812,508 from that census, but officials say the recount will impact how year-to-year projections are calculated, resulting in additional federal funding for the state.
Despite the growth in North Aurora, the larger city of Aurora, Illinois' second-largest city, also lost population, the data showed, dropping from an estimated 177,931 to 177,563.
“The most recent population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau are just as flawed and erroneous as the reported 2020 Census counts," Mayor Richard Irvin said in a statement when the data was first released. "Census Bureau data from 2020 shows nationwide undercounts, and to use those incorrect numbers to offer further estimates is absolutely absurd. We know that Aurora didn’t experience a loss of 17,000 residents in 2020 and reject the notion that we lost an estimated 3,000 more over the past three years.This is why we are pursuing a special Census recount, although the process to do so has been arduous at best."
