64 of Illinois’ 102 counties see populations drop in 2024

By Bryce Hill

03/12/2025

While Illinois’ total population grew slightly last year, many areas of the state experienced population decline. People moved out of state from half the counties.

TAGS: outmigration, population, taxes

Lawsuit filed over Illinois mandating all constitutional challenges be filed in just 2 counties

By Joe Tabor

09/07/2023

The law would limit the venue for state constitutional claims to Cook or Sangamon counties. Downstate residents are suing because judges they aren’t allowed to elect will hear cases.

Chicago students score lower, fewer graduate, fewer go to college

By Hannah Schmid

06/07/2023

The graduation and postsecondary enrollment rates in Chicago were below the statewide average in 2022. Reading and math SAT scores were also below the Illinois average. Other large districts in Cook and the collar counties performed better.

TAGS: CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Cook, Madison, St. Clair counties rank among nation’s top ‘judicial hellholes’

By Brad Weisenstein

12/11/2020

A trio of Illinois counties are known for being plaintiff friendly, especially for asbestos and no-injury biometric screening cases. COVID-19 liability is expected to fill future court dockets.

TAGS: BIPA: Biometric Information Privacy Act, corruption

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

House passes phony property tax freeze, bill dies in Senate

By Brendan Bakala

11/10/2017

The politically motivated freeze would not address key cost drivers or protect Illinois homeowners from property tax increases.

TAGS: John Cullerton, Michelle Mussman, Mike Madigan, property taxes

More than a third of Illinois’ largest cities shrinking in population

10/03/2017

Twelve of the 29 Illinois cities with over 50,000 in population are losing residents.

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

Employers in DuPage and Cook counties reported 429 layoffs in January

By Brendan Bakala

02/13/2017

Numbers from the January 2017 Illinois WARN report show most of the mass layoffs were in the service industry.

TAGS: jobs, unemployment, WARN

Making work pay in Illinois: How welfare cliffs can trap families in poverty

06/10/2015

Single parent with two children household and two parents with two children household scenarios in Cook County, City of Chicago, Lake County and St. Clair County

What Rauner can do to reform social services in Illinois

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

12/28/2014

There is clearly no lack of commitment aimed at supporting those in need here in Illinois. The question is how to do a better job of it.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, health care, jobs, social services, welfare

Cooking

64 of Illinois’ 102 counties see populations drop in 2024

Lawsuit filed over Illinois mandating all constitutional challenges be filed in just 2 counties

Chicago students score lower, fewer graduate, fewer go to college

Cook, Madison, St. Clair counties rank among nation’s top ‘judicial hellholes’

Most of Lake County’s largest communities are shrinking

House passes phony property tax freeze, bill dies in Senate

More than a third of Illinois’ largest cities shrinking in population

Employers in DuPage and Cook counties reported 429 layoffs in January

Making work pay in Illinois: How welfare cliffs can trap families in poverty

What Rauner can do to reform social services in Illinois

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students