Chicago community area populations 1950 vs. 2010

[BuildThemTaller]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Looks like Cook County and (likely Chicago) are losing population again.

Yay, it's fun to lose people when everybody else is gaining.

Source, for those interested.

As a former labor market analyst and demography hobbyist, I can tell you that the American Community Survey, on which this report is based, is not to be taken as gospel. The farther we get away from a decennial census, the less accurate the survey becomes. On the whole, a drop of 10,000 residents from among 5.2 millions represents less than 0.2%. It would just about as accurate to say that the population of Cook County remains stuck at around 5.2 million. Those don't sell headlines, of course.

[Ryanrule]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

Looks like Cook County and (likely Chicago) are losing population again.

Yay, it's fun to lose people when everybody else is gaining.

ide like to see the demographics.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

Source, for those interested.

As a former labor market analyst and demography hobbyist, I can tell you that the American Community Survey, on which this report is based, is not to be taken as gospel. The farther we get away from a decennial census, the less accurate the survey becomes. On the whole, a drop of 10,000 residents from among 5.2 millions represents less than 0.2%. It would just about as accurate to say that the population of Cook County remains stuck at around 5.2 million. Those don't sell headlines, of course.

Agreed. They are good estimates, but they have known to be wrong. They estimated in 2009 that Chicago had gained people, but then 2010 census came around and showed a sizable loss.

[Via Chicago]

Chicago area sees greatest population loss of any major U.S. city, region in 2015

In 2015 the region lost an estimated 6,263 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data. The reason for the decline is clear: The number of residents leaving the region in 2015 was so large — about 80,000 in all — that it couldn't be offset by new residents and births, according to census data.

"The fact is, the whole metro area actually lost population, because that many more people moved out than moved in," said William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution.
.....
Overall, Illinois in 2015 had a population drop of about 22,194 people, and saw about 105,217 more people moving out of the state than moving in, according to census data.
.....
Cook County's population, on the other hand, dropped by about 10,488 people from 2014 — a decrease of about 0.24 percent — leaving the county with a population of about 5.2 million.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by BuildThemTaller

Source, for those interested.

Well? I've been saying this for a long time! Who the hell wants to live in Crook county anymore, much less Illinois? This state is so fucked up broke it's disgusting. And then you have Rahm and this stupid city pissing away tens of millions on parks and beaches, making this financial mess even more of a joke. We can't even pay our teachers for god's sake, yet that fucking clown is throwing 30 something million away on a single lakefront project (not to mention the millions he's already wasted on other foolish beautification projects)! Been saying it for years, people are getting fed up with the insane mismanagement and corruption in this city, county, and state. We're heading the direction of Detroit, and if it weren't for our somewhat decent tourism industry, we'd already be there.

And this is just another reason why when I see all these silly condo and apartment towers going up, I think: who the hell is filling these??? We're over-building this city, and it's only a matter of time before downtown stops being a desirable relocation spot for Joe-blow Big 10 or these suburban kids who come rent an apartment "in the city" for a few years before going back home.

This city and this state face some very big and serious financial issues that are driving people out and in huge numbers. It's fucking embarrassing.

[MayorOfChicago]

It's interesting how the demographics have almost switched from the last half of the 20's century regarding blacks and whites in the city (from the census/American community survey):

2010 to 2014 Population Change - City of Chicago:

Hispanic: +38,000
Asian: +15,000
White: +13,000
Mixed: +10,000
Black: -53,000

Given the situation on the south/west sides this year between violence and schools - I fear what will happen to the black population in the next few years. It's already down around 250,000 from 1990.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Well? I've been saying this for a long time! Who the hell wants to live in Crook county anymore, much less Illinois? This state is so fucked up broke it's disgusting. And then you have Rahm and this stupid city pissing away tens of millions on parks and beaches, making this financial mess even more of a joke. We can't even pay our teachers for god's sake, yet that fucking clown is throwing 30 something million away on a single lakefront project (not to mention the millions he's already wasted on other foolish beautification projects)! Been saying it for years, people are getting fed up with the insane mismanagement and corruption in this city, county, and state. We're heading the direction of Detroit, and if it weren't for our somewhat decent tourism industry, we'd already be there.

And this is just another reason why when I see all these silly condo and apartment towers going up, I think: who the hell is filling these??? We're over-building this city, and it's only a matter of time before downtown stops being a desirable relocation spot for Joe-blow Big 10 or these suburban kids who come rent an apartment "in the city" for a few years before going back home.

^ Instead of wasting our time with all this drivel which rings of resentment towards the people more successful than you buying/renting places downtown, you could have simply said this:

This city and this state face some very big and serious financial issues that are driving people out and in huge numbers. It's fucking embarrassing.

[rlw777]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

Well? I've been saying this for a long time! Who the hell wants to live in Crook county anymore, much less Illinois? This state is so fucked up broke it's disgusting. And then you have Rahm and this stupid city pissing away tens of millions on parks and beaches, making this financial mess even more of a joke. We can't even pay our teachers for god's sake, yet that fucking clown is throwing 30 something million away on a single lakefront project (not to mention the millions he's already wasted on other foolish beautification projects)! Been saying it for years, people are getting fed up with the insane mismanagement and corruption in this city, county, and state. We're heading the direction of Detroit, and if it weren't for our somewhat decent tourism industry, we'd already be there.

And this is just another reason why when I see all these silly condo and apartment towers going up, I think: who the hell is filling these??? We're over-building this city, and it's only a matter of time before downtown stops being a desirable relocation spot for Joe-blow Big 10 or these suburban kids who come rent an apartment "in the city" for a few years before going back home.

This city and this state face some very big and serious financial issues that are driving people out and in huge numbers. It's fucking embarrassing.

We aren't overbuilding. Downtown's population has been growing steadily for quite a while now.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by rlw777

We aren't overbuilding. Downtown's population has been growing steadily for quite a while now.

Don't do that. Don't use math and logic on Tom. That's not fair

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by Tom Servo

And this is just another reason why when I see all these silly condo and apartment towers going up, I think: who the hell is filling these???

maybe ring a doorbell and ask who they are? theyre not ghost cities ala China.

presumably the people filling them are people who can afford them and want to live in said building.

but just because downtown is doing well dosent change the fact that vast swaths of the city are facing very serious issues, and that we're all on the hook for the budget crisis. we cant build our way out of this.

[Steely Dan]

"a tale of two cities"

it's not a complicated concept.

i don't know why tom can't seem to grasp it.

[Steely Dan]

but maybe tom is right.

perhaps only people born and raised in the city of chicago should be allowed to live in the city of chicago.

NO OUTSIDERS WELCOME HERE! surely that will solve most of our city's problems, right?

right?

[VKChaz]

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago

It's interesting how the demographics have almost switched from the last half of the 20's century regarding blacks and whites in the city (from the census/American community survey):

...

Also, there has been a general national trend of Blacks moving from the North to the South
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/ny...the-south.html

[the urban politician]

What also hurts Chicago is that the rate of immigration is not enough to offset these losses.

The region is becoming more diverse, but it continues to shrink by a bit

[k1052]

Originally Posted by VKChaz

Also, there has been a general national trend of Blacks moving from the North to the South
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/ny...the-south.html

Yea, this has been going on for 20 plus years and affects most of the major northern US cities. Not sure why this would be news to anyone who's been paying attention.

[marothisu]

It sucks that it's estimated that the region lost people for basically the first time ever (look at the 10 year census numbers for that). However, most things in life long term happen in trends. Whether it's stock or population, you will see losses here and there in the long term even if the long term had gains. Also these are estimates, not the official numbers. Official numbers are only done every 10 years. The next time it will be done is 2020 which is 4 years from now. What will they say? Anyone's guess. Longer term trend lines though still show the region growing, luckily. While many (but not all) counties have been estimated to have lost population from 2014 to 2015, most of them have still gained population from 2010. Keeping in mind how trends work, this should probably be paid attention to but I don't think it should heed any major warnings unless the 2016 and maybe 2017 estimates also show losses. One point of data does not make a trend - multiple do together.


Change from 2010 census to 2015 estimates:
Cook County: +43,541 people
DuPage County: +16,812
Kane County: +15,578
Kendal County: +8619
Porter County (IN): +3345
Kenosha County WI): +2011
Grundy County: +478
Lake County (IL) +448
Jasper County (IN): -8
Newton County (IN): -236
DeKalb County: -808
McHenry County: -1417
Lake County (IN): -8140

NET CHANGE 2010 to 2015 = +80,223

[the urban politician]

^ I find it interesting that Lake County's population remains at a standstill.

It probably has some of the wealthiest suburbs in the area, but there are also towns where there is a sizable black population (Waukegan, Zion) and I'm curious if there is also a large outflow of blacks from those towns as well offsetting gains elsewhere?

Of course, affluence doesn't always equate to population growth (look at Lincoln Park). What we need is to tap into more Asian immigration, since Mexican/South American immigration to the region is probably tapped out and will even decline with all of this anti-immigration rhetoric and lack of blue collar job growth.

[sentinel]

Who cares really? The population of Paris, for example has been pretty stagnant for over 15 years (if not longer). But it's still busy and vibrant and constructing new buildings like crazy to meet residential and commercial demand, so it's immaterial that the population hasn't grown/remained flat/had a net loss of a few thousand.

I'm highlighting Paris specifically because I believe that and Paris and Chicago are comparable in not just in size/population, but also in one key factor that these dick-measuring lists about US urban population growth/decline always conveniently forget to mention: both cities are major regional and international hubs with key elements that cannot be replicated in fast growing metropolises, both within the US and internationally. Chicago could lose another 150,000 residents and it wouldn't alter the fact that it's a powerful economic touch-point in the global economy. The City has massive issues that will be very painful to address, but don't fool yourselves, ever city has issues, regardless of location.

Personally, I think there's a strange obsession in our country with only counting unmitigated, relentless growth as the primary factor of whether or not a city/metropolis is successful, and that gentrification is still considered an evil that shouldn't exist because of an inane belief that it dilutes the urban experience, which is utter bullshit to me. Chicago's explosive growth between 1850 and 1890 also helped in heralding the advent of public health epidemics, segregation, severe pollution and organized crime that are all still a massive tumor collectively weighing us down. Pick which edge of the sword you want to cut you.

[sukwoo]

Its a problem because fewer residents means fewer taxpayers, which will make paying off the unfunded liabilities even more difficult.

[Via Chicago]

i doubt we'll ever see the level of immigration, birthrates, and industry dominance that chicago held in the 1st half of the 20th century every again. slow, incremental improvements is the best we can hope for.