Most of Lake County’s largest communities are shrinking

By Austin Berg

07/09/2018

Many communities in the northern Illinois border county are having trouble attracting and retaining residents.

TAGS: Buffalo Grove, Gurnee, Highland Park, Lake County, mundelein, North Chicago, outmigration, population, Round Lake Beach, vernon hills, Waukegan, Wheeling, Winthrop Harbor

East Moline taxpayers could find savings through school district consolidation

By Vincent Caruso

07/09/2018

While Quad Cities geography connects East Moline and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Illinois’ abundance of school districts means their administrative environments are worlds apart. By consolidating duplicative administrative bodies, East Moline could generate taxpayer savings.

TAGS: East Moline, education, outmigration, pensions, quad cities, school district consolidation

Prime working-age Illinoisans leading the state’s population decline

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill, Suman Chattopadhyay

06/21/2018

The current and future workforce is shrinking in Illinois, but growing across the U.S. Making the Prairie State more attractive for families seeking to work and invest is key to fixing this problem.

TAGS: millennials, outmigration, population, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Belleville has seen sharpest population decline among top Illinois cities since 2010

By Vincent Caruso

06/08/2018

As Illinois struggles to address its people problem, population loss has plagued communities across the Land of Lincoln. But the shrinkage in some areas has been more severe than others.

TAGS: Belleville, jobs, Metro East, missouri, outmigration, population

As city of Springfield sees taxes rise, its population falls

By Joe Kaiser

06/06/2018

With pension debt straining city finances, local politicians have insisted on turning to its declining population for more tax revenue.

TAGS: bonds, credit rating, municipal pensions, outmigration, pensions, population, property taxes, Sangamon County, Springfield, taxes

Shrinking communities bode ill for Illinois’ economy

By Orphe Divounguy, Bryce Hill

05/30/2018

More than three-quarters Illinois communities lost population over the year, and nearly all of the state’s major metro areas are lagging the nation on key economic indicators.

TAGS: balanced budget requirement, budget, employment, income tax, labor force participation rate, outmigration, personal income, population, progressive income tax, spending cap, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Illinois’ southernmost counties see population losses in 2017

By Joe Kaiser

05/30/2018

As part of Illinois’ statewide population drop in 2017, southern Illinois counties saw a continuation of population losses they’ve been seeing for years.

TAGS: Alexander County, Jackson County, outmigration, population, property taxes, southern illinois, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

New census data tell the tale of Quad Cities

By Austin Berg

05/25/2018

If current population trends hold, Rock Island, Illinois, will take a back seat to Bettendorf, Iowa, within five years.

TAGS: Iowa, outmigration, personal income, population, property taxes, quad cities, rock island county, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau

In a shrinking state, Census sheds light on struggling cities

By Austin Berg

05/24/2018

When people can’t find good job opportunities in Illinois, they are too often forced to leave. And to take their place, too few have enough confidence in the state to move in from elsewhere and build a future.

TAGS: Belleville, decatur, jobs, outmigration, progressive income tax, property taxes, Robert Martwick, rockford, taxes, U.S. Census Bureau, unemployment

Chicago was the only major U.S. city to lose population from 2016 to 2017

By Austin Berg

05/23/2018

In a shrinking state, half of Illinois’ largest cities have shed population since 2010.

TAGS: Belleville, Chicago, decatur, jobs, Metro East, outmigration, peoria, population, rockford, Spending, spending cap, U.S. Census Bureau