Prairie State Wire

Illinois’ rate of population decline between July 1, 2017, and July 1, 2018, was the third highest among the 50 states and Puerto Rico, according to population estimates released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The number of residents in the state dropped by 45,116, or 0.4 percent, during that year-long period. Only Puerto Rico (3.9 percent) and West Virginia (0.6 percent) had higher rates of population loss, the bureau’s numbers show.

Illinois had a population 12,741,080 in the middle of 2018, down from 12,786,196 a year earlier. The Census Bureau numbers indicate the decline was due to Illinois residents migrating to other states.

Without migration, Illinois would have had a “natural population” increase of 38,025, since there were 148,117 births and 110,092 deaths in the state during that period. International immigrants who settled in the state during that year numbered 30,735, but the number of Illinois residents migrating to other states was 114,154 – more than any other state with the exception of California (156,068) and New York (180,306), the Census Bureau reported.

Illinois was among nine states and Puerto Rico to post losses in population between July 2017 and July 2018. Comparing data from 2010 to 2018, only Illinois, West Virginia, Connecticut and Puerto Rico sustained long-term population losses, the bureau said.

“Many states have seen fewer births and more deaths in recent years,” Sandra Johnson, a demographer-statistician at the bureau, said in a prepared statement. “If those states are not gaining from either domestic or international migration, they will experience either low population growth or outright decline.”

Overall, the United States grew in population from July 2017 to July 2018 by 0.6 percent, with Nevada and Idaho showing the greatest growth rate at 2.1 percent. Utah (1.9 percent) was third, followed by Arizona (1.7 percent), Florida (1.5 percent) and Washington (1.5 percent).

Where were the greatest population declines in the U.S.?

Rank	State/ Territory	July 1, 2017, population	July 1, 2018, population	Population change	% change in population
1	Puerto Rico	3,325,001	3,195,153	-129,848	-3.9
2	West Virginia	1,817,048	1,805,832	-11,216	-0.6
3	Illinois	12,786,196	12,741,080	-45,116	-0.4
4	Alaska	739,786	737,438	-2,348	-0.3
5	Hawaii	1,424,203	1,420,491	-3,712	-0.3
6	Louisiana	4,670,818	4,659,978	-10,840	-0.2
7	New York	19,590,719	19,542,209	-48,510	-0.2
8	Wyoming	578,934	577,737	-1,197	-0.2
9	Mississippi	2,989,663	2,986,530	-3,133	-0.1
10	Connecticut	3,573,880	3,572,665	-1,215	-0.003

Source: U.S. Census Bureau