Prairie State Wire

Chicago-area counties scored some population gains between 2010 and 2020, but the vast majority of Illinois counties – 87 – recorded population losses over the last 10 years, according to new Census Bureau numbers.

Kendall County saw the greatest population increase in the state at 14.9%, while Cook County saw a 1.6% gain, the Census Bureau reported. Other northeastern counties such as Will, DuPage and Lake each saw gains of 10,000 or more people, the data shows.

At the other end of the spectrum, 14 counties saw double-digit population losses, including Alexander with a 36.4% drop and McDonough with a loss of 16.5%, according to the new census numbers.

Statewide, Illinois was one of only three states in the nation to lose population during the last decade. Illinois lost 18,124 residents during that time period and is now the sixth most populous state, behind Pennsylvania, the Illinois Policy Institute reported. The two other states with negative population growth are Mississippi and West Virginia.

Chicago gained only about 50,000 residents, or 1.9%, over the past decade, the institute said, making it the slowest growing among the 10 largest U.S. cities.

---

Population Changes Among Illinois Counties, Highest to Lowest

Rank	County	Population Based on 2020 Census	Change in Population (2010-2020)
1	Kendall	131,869	14.9%
2	Monroe	34,962	6.1%
3	Johnson	13,308	5.8%
4	Grundy	52,533	4.9%
5	Will	696,355	2.8%
6	Champaign	205,865	2.4%
7	Carroll	15,702	2.0%
8	DuPage	932,877	1.7%
9	Cook	5,275,541	1.6%
10	Lake	714,342	1.5%
11	Williamson	67,153	1.2%
12	Effingham	34,668	1.2%
13	McLean	170,954	0.8%
14	McHenry	310,229	0.5%
15	Kane	516,522	0.2%
16	Piatt	16,673	-0.3%
17	Woodford	38,467	-0.5%
18	Sangamon	196,343	-0.6%
19	Douglas	19,740	-1.2%
20 (tie)	Madison	265,859	-1.3%
20 (tie)	Boone	53,448	-1.3%
22	Rock Island	144,672	-1.9%
23	Adams	65,737	-2.0%
24 (tie)	Christian	34,032	-2.2%
24 (tie)	Moultrie	14,526	-2.2%
26	Clinton	36,899	-2.3%
27	Henry	49,284	-2.4%
28	Peoria	181,830	-2.5%
29	Richland	15,813	-2.6%
30	Jo Daviess	22,035	-2.8%
31	Fayette	21,488	-2.9%
32	Tazewell	131,343	-3.0%
33 (tie)	Ogle	51,788	-3.2%
33 (tie)	Knox	51,788	-3.2%
33 (tie)	Union	17,244	-3.2%
33 (tie)	Menard	12,297	-3.2%
37	Winnebago	285,350	-3.4%
38	Wayne	16,179	-3.5%
39	LaSalle	109,658	-3.7%
40	Clay	13,288	-3.8%
41	Ford	13,534	-3.9%
42	Jasper	9,287	-4.2%
43	Marion	37,729	-4.3%
44 (tie)	Franklin	37,804	-4.4%
44 (tie)	Jefferson	37,113	-4.4%
44 (tie)	Cass	13,042	-4.4%
47 (tie)	DeKalb	100,420	-4.5%
47 (tie)	Mercer	15,699	-4.5%
49	Saline	23,678	-4.6%
50	St. Clair	257,400	-4.7%
51	Whiteside	55,691	-4.8%
52 (tie)	Warren	16,835	-4.9%
52 (tie)	Wabash	11,361	-4.9%
54	Bureau	33,244	-5.0%
55 (tie)	Kankakee	107,502	-5.2%
55 (tie)	Lee	34,145	-5.2%
57 (tie)	Clark	15,455	-5.4%
57 (tie)	White	13,877	-5.4%
57 (tie)	Cumberland	10,450	-5.4%
60	Hamilton	7,993	-5.5%
61	Crawford	18,679	-5.7%
62 (tie)	Macoupin	44,967	-5.9%
62 (tie)	Bond	16,725	-5.9%
64	Montgomery	28,288	-6.0%
65 (tie)	Macon	103,998	-6.1%
65 (tie)	Shelby	20,990	-6.1%
65 (tie)	Putnam	5,637	-6.1%
68 (tie)	Perry	20,945	-6.3%
68 (tie)	De Witt	15,516	-6.3%
70	Jersey	21,512	-6.4%
71 (tie)	Stephenson	44,630	-6.5%
71 (tie)	Washington	13,761	-6.5%
73 (tie)	Marshall	11,742	-7.1%
73 (tie)	Edwards	6,245	-7.1%
75	Morgan	32,915	-7.4%
76 (tie)	Logan	27,987	-7.6%
76 (tie)	Scott	4,949	-7.6%
78	Hancock	17,620	-7.8%
79	Livingston	35,815	-8.0%
80	Massac	14,169	-8.2%
81	Schuyler	6,902	-8.5%
82	Iroquois	27,077	-8.9%
83	Vermilion	74,188	-9.1%
84 (tie)	Edgar	16,866	-9.2%
84 (tie)	Lawrence	15,280	-9.2%
86	Fulton	33,609	-9.3%
87 (tie)	Randolph	30,163	-9.9%
87 (tie)	Stark	5,400	-9.9%
89	Brown	6,244	-10.0%
90	Pike	14,739	-10.3%
91	Mason	13,086	-10.8%
92	Gallatin	4,946	-11.5%
93	Jackson	52,974	-12.0%
94	Calhoun	4,437	-12.8%
95	Henderson	6,387	-12.9%
96	Coles	46,863	-13.0%
97	Greene	11,985	-13.7%
98	Hardin	3,649	-15.5%
99	Pulaski	5,193	-15.7%
100	Pope	3,763	-15.8%
101	McDonough	27,238	-16.5%
102	Alexander	5,240	-36.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau