Illinois lost 51,250 people between 2018 and 2019 according to new numbers released today by the U.S. Census. It’s the sixth consecutive year that Illinois has lost significant population. According to census data, the state has lost over 89,000 people since the beginning of the decade, and the highest loss of any state in the nation. The population decline began to happen sharply in 2014, when 66,000 people left.
According to data gathered by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, Morgan County lost 4.1% of its population between 2006-2016, with Cass County losing 10.26% during that same time frame. According to that same report, Illinois attracts few new people to the state, behind only New York and Michigan. Last year, Illinois dropped from the fifth to the sixth most populous state, losing an estimated 45,000 people and falling behind Pennsylvania.
Many politicians in the state are worried with the federal census coming in 2020 that Illinois could lose a representative seat and an electoral vote. Many federal grants and other assistance is also calculated based on population.