U.S. Census Bureau figures
U.S. Census Bureau figures
Ninety-three out of 102 Illinois counties lost residents to domestic outmigration in 2016 and Rock Island is one of them, according to a U.S. Census Bureau chart tweeted out by Michael Lucci of the Illinois Policy Institute.
The data show Rock Island County lost 1,870 residents to other areas.
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Metropolitan area lost 19,570 residents in 2016, the biggest loss of any metropolitan area in the nation. In 2015, the area lost 11,324 people.
Although Rock Island County isn’t in the Chicago metropolitan area, it is still losing people to other states, such as Texas.
Illinois was one of eight states to lose residents and now has its lowest population since 2009 at 12,801,539 people.
The article goes on to say that the likely ramifications are both financial and political. Money given to local governments by other agencies are generally based on population. When communities grow, they pour money into programs based on the population, and when that population shrinks, taxpayers shoulder the burden.
"Illinois should be one of the fastest growing states," Eleni Demertzis, a spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner, said in an emailed statement. "Instead, people are leaving. That is why Gov. Rauner is working so hard to pass a truly balanced budget in order to make changes that attract employers and create good jobs."
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