An analysis of Current Population Survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Illinois department of Revenue data show that Illinois is Not suffering a mass exodus like some have claimed.
Researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute Champaign have found that Illinois' population has been stable over the decade, driven by growth in the Chicago metropolitan area, with the state as a whole becoming less rural, more educated, more Hispanic, more foreign-born, and higher-paid.
People who moved into Illinois were better educated and more likely to arrive to college than those who moved out. They were also younger on average than people who stayed in Illinois. While outmigrants were statistically more likely to be Black or African American, people moving into Illinois and people who stay in Illinois were disproportionately more likely to be Hispanic or Latinx.
In their study, researchers first used Illinois Department of Revenue tax statistics from 2010 to 2020 note that Illinois added more than 200,000 taxpayers last decade, an increase of 4%. The tax base grew in the Chicago area while it declined Downstate.
