2012 Census Estimates (Chicago, Aurora, Kane: 2013, foreclosures, college)

[Maintainschaos]

The 2012 Census estimates put Chicago's growth at ~20,000 people since 2010. The city's current estimated population is 2,714,856, up from 2,695,598 in 2010. According to the report, however, Chicago is currently the slowest-growing major US city. Interestingly, Aurora is just a hair below 200,000 people. By 2013 it is expected to be the first city outside of Chicago in Illinois to reach the 200,000 mark (although there are several metro areas well above this population).

Texas Cities Lead Nation in Population Growth, Census Bureau Reports - Population - Newsroom - U.S. Census Bureau

Census: Despite population growth, Chicago still at a loss - Chicago Sun-Times

[marothisu]

Any growth is good IMO

[emathias]

let me know when we're on the cusp of 4,000,000

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Any growth is good IMO

I never really understood the obsession with raw population numbers. Isn't it more important who is moving to the city? I would rather see Chicago attract high earning individuals and loose overall population than gain population city wide, but absorb a large number of CHA residents and other people who cost the city money.

[Maintainschaos]

Originally Posted by prelude91

I never really understood the obsession with raw population numbers. Isn't it more important who is moving to the city? I would rather see Chicago attract high earning individuals and loose overall population than gain population city wide, but absorb a large number of CHA residents and other people who cost the city money.

Isn't this the argument about why Chicago lost population in the 2000s? I guess without demographics it is hard to say what kind of people have been moving in since 2010 but, just looking at the economy out there, I can't imagine it's just low-income individuals...is it?

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

Isn't this the argument about why Chicago lost population in the 2000s? I guess without demographics it is hard to say what kind of people have been moving in since 2010 but, just looking at the economy out there, I can't imagine it's just low-income individuals...is it?

Doubtful. Im just pointing out that population growth for growths sake is not always a good think in my opinion.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by prelude91

I never really understood the obsession with raw population numbers. Isn't it more important who is moving to the city? I would rather see Chicago attract high earning individuals and loose overall population than gain population city wide, but absorb a large number of CHA residents and other people who cost the city money.

Totally agree with you. The thing is that Chicago is attracting those education individuals and many are in the middle class which is great...though some lower class individuals are moving to the burbs which isn't always good.

It depends on who you are gaining and losing really unless you lose WAY too many people like Detroit.

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by prelude91

I never really understood the obsession with raw population numbers. Isn't it more important who is moving to the city? I would rather see Chicago attract high earning individuals and loose overall population than gain population city wide, but absorb a large number of CHA residents and other people who cost the city money.

Completely agree. Case in point: Las Vegas, which despite it's explosive growth managed to actually lose young college graduates according to that USA Today article.

[linicx]

Chicago I think is losing population due to death, foreclosures, movement due to job opportunity elsewhere, population who moves to care for parents, and those who move because they can't afford it, don't like it, or traffic and weather related issues.

On the other hand read the posts for those moving into Cook County and Illinois on C-D forums.

[Attrill]

Forbes actually has a halfway decent visualization of county to county migration within the US. Cook county seems to be gaining mostly from rural areas in the Midwest - Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, and downstate. Rural counties have been hard hit, and are losing a lot of their population to larger MSAs, which is helping drive growth in counties like Will, Kane and Kendall.