Illinois is among the states most affected by out-migration. | Morguefile.com/Click
Illinois is among the states most affected by out-migration. | Morguefile.com/Click
Eighty-one of Illinois’ 102 counties recorded population losses last year as the Prairie State suffered an overall 1% population drop, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data.
The two Illinois counties with the largest numerical population losses were Cook (down 89,595) and DuPage (down 6,268), the bureau reported. The counties with the biggest numerical gains were Kendall (2,576), McHenry (1,352) and Will (1,349).
Population declines can result from either natural changes (more deaths than births) or from out-migration, according to the report. The share of Illinois counties that sustained domestic out-migration was 65.7%, the third-highest percentage of the 50 states, the Census Bureau said.
Nationwide, 73% of all counties reported natural decreases in population last year, up from 45.5% in 2019, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.
The 81 Illinois counties with declining populations lost a total of 121,000 people, while the Illinois counties that reported population growth added just 7,400 in total, according to Census Bureau data.
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Population Changes in Illinois Counties in 2021
| County | Numerical Change | 2020 Population | 2021 Population | Percentage Change |
| Kendall | 2,576 | 132,291 | 134,867 | 1.9% |
| McHenry | 1,352 | 309,770 | 311,122 | 0.4% |
| Will | 1,349 | 695,903 | 697,252 | 0.2% |
| Grundy | 475 | 52,514 | 52,989 | 0.9% |
| Champaign | 474 | 205,469 | 205,943 | 0.2% |
| Brown | 204 | 6,217 | 6,421 | 3.3% |
| DeKalb | 181 | 100,233 | 100,414 | 0.2% |
| Johnson | 156 | 13,307 | 13,463 | 1.2% |
| Logan | 113 | 27,879 | 27,992 | 0.4% |
| Perry | 105 | 20,880 | 20,985 | 0.5% |
| Piatt | 99 | 16,654 | 16,753 | 0.6% |
| Randolph | 87 | 30,055 | 30,142 | 0.3% |
| Pope | 35 | 3,744 | 3,779 | 0.9% |
| Carroll | 34 | 15,664 | 15,698 | 0.2% |
| Monroe | 34 | 34,898 | 34,932 | 0.1% |
| Coles | 28 | 46,737 | 46,765 | 0.1% |
| Lee | 28 | 34,021 | 34,049 | 0.1% |
| Moultrie | 24 | 14,486 | 14,510 | 0.2% |
| Crawford | 20 | 18,639 | 18,659 | 0.1% |
| McLean | 19 | 170,870 | 170,889 | 0.0% |
| Hardin | 16 | 3,634 | 3,650 | 0.4% |
| Richland | -7 | 15,803 | 15,796 | 0.0% |
| Pike | -15 | 14,633 | 14,618 | -0.1% |
| Douglas | -20 | 19,742 | 19,722 | -0.1% |
| Ford | -22 | 13,533 | 13,511 | -0.2% |
| White | -24 | 13,808 | 13,784 | -0.2% |
| Henderson | -27 | 6,339 | 6,312 | -0.4% |
| Marshall | -28 | 11,691 | 11,663 | -0.2% |
| Schuyler | -32 | 6,875 | 6,843 | -0.5% |
| Calhoun | -42 | 4,411 | 4,369 | -1.0% |
| Gallatin | -44 | 4,947 | 4,903 | -0.9% |
| Mercer | -51 | 15,633 | 15,582 | -0.3% |
| Jasper | -54 | 9,247 | 9,193 | -0.6% |
| Washington | -56 | 13,711 | 13,655 | -0.4% |
| Hamilton | -66 | 7,977 | 7,911 | -0.8% |
| Bond | -67 | 16,663 | 16,596 | -0.4% |
| Putnam | -69 | 5,635 | 5,566 | -1.2% |
| Greene | -72 | 11,915 | 11,843 | -0.6% |
| Montgomery | -73 | 28,157 | 28,084 | -0.3% |
| Fayette | -76 | 21,460 | 21,384 | -0.4% |
| Lawrence | -82 | 15,234 | 15,152 | -0.5% |
| Cumberland | -83 | 10,428 | 10,345 | -0.8% |
| Livingston | -88 | 35,752 | 35,664 | -0.2% |
| Scott | -91 | 4,927 | 4,836 | -1.8% |
| Jo Daviess | -96 | 22,035 | 21,939 | -0.4% |
| Pulaski | -96 | 5,161 | 5,065 | -1.9% |
| Stark | -97 | 5,391 | 5,294 | -1.8% |
| De Witt | -100 | 15,441 | 15,341 | -0.6% |
| Menard | -101 | 12,265 | 12,164 | -0.8% |
| Clinton | -103 | 36,896 | 36,793 | -0.3% |
| Clark | -107 | 15,407 | 15,300 | -0.7% |
| Jersey | -111 | 21,444 | 21,333 | -0.5% |
| Shelby | -111 | 20,900 | 20,789 | -0.5% |
| Wabash | -114 | 11,316 | 11,202 | -1.0% |
| Clay | -124 | 13,267 | 13,143 | -0.9% |
| Edwards | -130 | 6,205 | 6,075 | -2.1% |
| Alexander | -138 | 5,168 | 5,030 | -2.7% |
| Mason | -145 | 13,026 | 12,881 | -1.1% |
| Hancock | -152 | 17,552 | 17,400 | -0.9% |
| Jefferson | -152 | 37,029 | 36,877 | -0.4% |
| Iroquois | -157 | 26,984 | 26,827 | -0.6% |
| Wayne | -158 | 16,121 | 15,963 | -1.0% |
| Massac | -165 | 14,125 | 13,960 | -1.2% |
| Boone | -167 | 53,326 | 53,159 | -0.3% |
| Woodford | -170 | 38,395 | 38,225 | -0.4% |
| Cass | -183 | 12,956 | 12,773 | -1.4% |
| Effingham | -184 | 34,614 | 34,430 | -0.5% |
| Morgan | -192 | 32,798 | 32,606 | -0.6% |
| Franklin | -194 | 37,636 | 37,442 | -0.5% |
| Whiteside | -204 | 55,509 | 55,305 | -0.4% |
| Williamson | -215 | 67,094 | 66,879 | -0.3% |
| Marion | -223 | 37,613 | 37,390 | -0.6% |
| Ogle | -229 | 51,678 | 51,449 | -0.4% |
| Henry | -231 | 49,138 | 48,907 | -0.5% |
| Bureau | -235 | 33,118 | 32,883 | -0.7% |
| Edgar | -235 | 16,755 | 16,520 | -1.4% |
| Christian | -238 | 33,900 | 33,662 | -0.7% |
| Fulton | -243 | 33,440 | 33,197 | -0.7% |
| Warren | -246 | 16,777 | 16,531 | -1.5% |
| McDonough | -251 | 27,079 | 26,828 | -0.9% |
| Union | -256 | 17,179 | 16,923 | -1.5% |
| Saline | -314 | 23,634 | 23,320 | -1.3% |
| Jackson | -331 | 52,896 | 52,565 | -0.6% |
| LaSalle | -394 | 109,359 | 108,965 | -0.4% |
| Macoupin | -404 | 44,810 | 44,406 | -0.9% |
| Stephenson | -436 | 44,457 | 44,021 | -1.0% |
| Knox | -468 | 49,736 | 49,268 | -0.9% |
| Kane | -567 | 516,155 | 515,588 | -0.1% |
| Adams | -576 | 65,530 | 64,954 | -0.9% |
| Tazewell | -605 | 131,018 | 130,413 | -0.5% |
| Kankakee | -635 | 107,236 | 106,601 | -0.6% |
| Vermilion | -788 | 73,883 | 73,095 | -1.1% |
| Madison | -1,008 | 265,498 | 264,490 | -0.4% |
| Macon | -1,215 | 103,647 | 102,432 | -1.2% |
| Sangamon | -1,278 | 196,012 | 194,734 | -0.7% |
| Rock Island | -1,358 | 144,267 | 142,909 | -0.9% |
| Winnebago | -1,739 | 284,858 | 283,119 | -0.6% |
| Peoria | -1,793 | 181,225 | 179,432 | -1.0% |
| Lake | -1,978 | 713,217 | 711,239 | -0.3% |
| St. Clair | -1,993 | 256,789 | 254,796 | -0.8% |
| DuPage | -6,268 | 931,153 | 924,885 | -0.7% |
| Cook | -89,595 | 5,262,741 | 5,173,146 | -1.7% |
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