Chicago is losing population fast!

**Danny** · December-12-12, 11:04 AM

Latest reports for 2011 U.S. Census said that Chicago has lost over 188,000 people in one year. More than Detroit which it loss 11,000 people in one year. What cause this sudden population decline in Chicago?

Any Thoughts?

Here some more sources.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...s-census_N.htm

**rb336** · December-12-12, 11:56 AM

Engelwood lost a quarter of its population. people are abandoning the south side. This has been going on for a while. Many are moving to NW Indiana [[Hammond and environs) and the bordering Illinois cities like Calumet and Lansing. I know one person who lived in the south side who still works in Chicago but now lives in New Buffalo. The city, I think, redistributed police presence to the loop and more northerly [[aka "whiter") neighborhoods a few years ago

**brizee** · December-12-12, 01:25 PM

Any source on that 188,000 in one year claim?

That's almost as many as Chicago lost in ten years.

I find it very hard to believe.

**detroitsgwenivere** · December-12-12, 04:40 PM

The article sais that the Chi lost 200k in a decade, not a year. That's still a significant and steady decline, and the article suggests that the Black and Latino communities are leaving the city in droves. Besides the police state environment, I wonder what the driving factors are for this exodus. Off to Google I go....

**Gistok** · December-12-12, 05:19 PM

I'm kind of surprised by this article....

http://www.city-journal.org/2012/22_2_chicago.html

**wolverine** · December-13-12, 02:12 AM

Chicago gained 11,522 residents according to United States Census Bureau Estimates for 2010-2011.

Credible Source: The US Census:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/1714000.html

**Danny** · December-13-12, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

Chicago gained 11,522 residents according to United States Census Bureau Estimates for 2010-2011.

Credible Source: The US Census:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/1714000.html

Those are mostly young yuppified professionals. Those hip cool skinny jeaned young adults with hipster glass on their faces and wearing Converse Chuck Taylor Shoes in their feet.

**michimoby** · December-13-12, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Those are mostly young yuppified professionals. Those hip cool skinny jeaned young adults with hipster glass on their faces and wearing Converse Chuck Taylor Shoes in their feets.

[[Stares at jeans)
[[Stares at knowledge of pop culture)
[[Stares at glasses)
[[Stares at shoes)

[[Hangs head in shame)

**leapfrog** · December-13-12, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Those are mostly young yuppified professionals. Those hip cool skinny jeaned young adults with hipster glass on their faces and wearing Converse Chuck Taylor Shoes in their feet.

They don't count?

**rb336** · December-13-12, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

Chicago gained 11,522 residents according to United States Census Bureau Estimates for 2010-2011.

Credible Source: The US Census:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/1714000.html

note that it is an estimate.

Chicago 2000 total population: 2,896,016
Chicago 2010 total population: 2,695,598
Chicago lost 200,418 in those 10 years, nearly 7% of its population.
[[data from the above link and http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/...dex.xhtml#none)

Detroit lost 230,000+ [[although there were actually claims of overcounting in the 2000 census and undercounting in 2010). There have been some sociological studies that show Detroit had more zip codes with 50% population growth than Chicago over the last 5 years.

The problem with census bureau estimates in non-census years is that part of the equation includes a mean of historic growth rates, or it used to.

**wolverine** · December-13-12, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

note that it is an estimate.

Chicago 2000 total population: 2,896,016
Chicago 2010 total population: 2,695,598
Chicago lost 200,418 in those 10 years, nearly 7% of its population.
[[data from the above link and http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/...dex.xhtml#none)

Detroit lost 230,000+ [[although there were actually claims of overcounting in the 2000 census and undercounting in 2010). There have been some sociological studies that show Detroit had more zip codes with 50% population growth than Chicago over the last 5 years.

The problem with census bureau estimates in non-census years is that part of the equation includes a mean of historic growth rates, or it used to.

LOL, that's why I capitalized Estimate..to note that it was an estimate.

Yeah, small positive growth for an estimate to me is nothing to get too excited about. But I'm happy it's not an ugly negative number. Downtown and regional economic growth are more important to me since its effects will be distributed citywide. Alot of population growth occurred in...surprise surprise...already growing census tracts. So while two houses with a total of 8 residents might get knocked down for a tower with 200 residents, the south and west sides will continue to bleed population and leave properties all up empty.

I am very certain a decent percentage of that 200,000 number came from public housing as well. Some residents were relocated to scatter-site housing a few mixed income midrise and townhomes were built on the former sites. But it's nowhere near the unit count of what was there. People just left altogether.