Illinois ability to keep its residents is third from the bottom. Only California and New York have more people moving to other states.

Illinois and other states with sanctuary cities saw large influxes of international migrants in recent years. But historical data shows the new arrivals may soon move out for the same reasons other residents have.

A massive influx of 112,955 international migrants boosted Illinois population in 2024, new Census Bureau data shows. Buses from Texas likely grew Illinois’ population.

Nearly 100,000 Chicago-area residents are out of work, and at 6.2% the Chicago metro area has the highest unemployment rate of the nation’s 50 largest metro areas. Illinois as a whole isn’t doing much better, with a 6.1% unemployment rate.

The Democratic National Convention is coming to Chicago to highlight the party’s platform. Delegates are likely to see moving vans that highlight what those policies have done to the Windy City and the rest of Illinois.

At the 1920 Census, Chicago’s population was 2.7 million, up over 516,000 in a decade. More than 100 years later, Chicago’s population is 2.66 million, a loss of 128,034 from nine straight years of decline.