Are people moving in or out of Illinois? (2023)

Are people moving in or out of Illinois?

Of the total number of people moving over the Illinois state line in 2021, 68% were moving away while 32% were inbound. For the past five years, Illinois has been in the top 10 for the top outbound states, along with California, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Illinois reported the largest outmigration of residents of any state during 2021, marking the 8th consecutive year of population decline in Illinois. Chicago similarly saw more residents move away than any metropolitan area in the nation.

Of the total number of people moving over the Illinois state line in 2021, 68 percent were moving away, while 32 percent were inbound.

The major reasons Illinoisans have chosen to leave the state are for better housing and employment opportunities, both of which have been made worse by poor public policy in Illinois. Nearly half of Illinoisans have thought about moving away, citing high taxes as their No. 1 reason.

79% of Illinois communities lost population in 2021

Currently displaying rows 1 to 6. The largest share of Illinois' population decline is also coming from the state's largest communities. Cities with a population of more than 100,000 residents together lost nearly 50,000 people during 2021.

Not only is Illinois a good state to live in, but it has actually been ranked as the 21st best place to live in the country. With a population of over 12.67 million people, Illinois is attracting thousands of young professionals, families, and retirees to the area every year.

Dallas is also a prime location for many Illinois residents. Its metropolitan areas experienced growth between July 2020 and July 2021, according to the Census Bureau, despite the pandemic. Areas like Dallas-Fort Worth experienced the highest domestic inbound migration.

High taxes, more affordable housing and better job prospects are chief reasons more people are leaving the Midwest for other parts of the country including the Southeast and Southwest, a study revealed.

California, number of people: 24,085. Texas, number of people: 23,747.

How many people are leaving Illinois?

About 2.5 times as many residents are looking to leave than move in. With 81% of Illinois counties losing residents in 2021, the search query results confirm overall population trends in the once midwestern titan.

High taxes, more affordable housing and better job prospects are chief reasons more people are leaving the Midwest for other parts of the country including the Southeast and Southwest, a study revealed.