Illinois officials say that the state actually gained residents between 2010 and 2020 after the U.S. Census Bureau undertook a review of data in recent months.
According to a press release from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, undercounts of group living facilities were rectified in a new update from the Census Bureau, adding approximately 46,400 individuals to the state’s official population.
Originally, the 2020 Census found that Illinois had lost just over 18,000 residents in a 10-year span, or approximately 0.1% of its population. The recounted residents will not be added to the official total of 12,812,508 from that census, but officials say the recount will impact how year-to-year projections are calculated, resulting in additional federal funding for the state.
“I’m pleased that the Census Bureau has recognized the undercounting that I and many members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation have worked to remedy since the 2020 Census results were first released,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “This correction will bring in millions in additional federal funding for crucial programs and help to ensure future counts reflect the true number of Illinois residents.”
According to officials, more than 700 “Group Quarters” were missed or undercounted as part of the 2020 Census. More than 40,000 individuals residing in care homes or senior living facilities were determined to have been missed, along with nearly 6,000 residents in dormitories and other residence halls.
According to the figures released in late December, Illinois’ population has dropped to 12,549,689, representing a decrease of 0.26% from a year ago. By contrast, Illinois lost approximately 0.85% of its population between 2021 and 2022, according to the Bureau.
The state has the fourth-highest rate of decline year-over-year, trailing New York, Louisiana and Hawaii.
Several cities in Illinois are seeking updated counts of their populations in 2024, the first year that communities are eligible to request such recounts. Pingree Grove and Warrenville, both Chicago suburbs, are seeking new counts this year, which would be undertaken at their expense, according to the Census Bureau.
Both communities hold that they’ve added significant population in 2020, and are hoping to bring in extra state and federal revenues as a result.
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Urbana has also requested a recount of its population. The community, home of the University of Illinois’ flagship campus, believes it was undercounted during the 2020 Census because its population is so heavily-reliant on student housing, which was gutted during the COVID pandemic.
Since the last full Census in 2020, Illinois has seen an estimated decrease of 2.06% in its population, losing nearly 264,000 residents.
The Census Bureau data shows Illinois as having the fourth-highest rate of decline year-over-year. New York reported a drop of 0.52% in its population, with Louisiana and Hawaii both losing a larger percentage of their population year-over-year than Illinois.
California, Oregon, Pennsylvania and West Virginia also saw lower population numbers than a year ago, with 42 states and the District of Columbia seeing growth in their populations year-over-year.
Texas and Florida added the most residents in terms of raw numbers, with South Carolina and Florida both growing their populations by approximately 1.7% year-over-year.
Illinois is still the sixth-largest state in the country in terms of population, edging out states like Ohio and Georgia. California remains the largest by more than eight million residents over Texas, with Florida, New York and Pennsylvania rounding out the top five.
