Why cities like Chicago and Philly is affordable compare to NYC, SF, Boston

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Where? I can find that for each city? I remember them asking to label African American or Nigerian etc. I haven’t seen any of that data from the census despite looking for it extensively.

In the ACS not the census.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by As Above So Below...

In the ACS not the census.

Exactly.

That data was supposed to be in the census and I recall a poster here saying they just scrapped that release altogether because it wasn’t reliable.

[Northeasterner1970]

Originally Posted by ForeignCrunch

It contracted in population by over 1% *in just one year* according to the latest population estimates for 2021. But, yes, Chicago did grow in the highly problematic 2020 census, where it recorded the slowest rate of growth among the top 10 population areas in the US and among the lowest of any of the 50 largest US metros. As I stated elsewhere here I don't think Chicago is facing a Detroit-style catastrophe but I don't think the numbers support any assertion that the city is doing well for itself. Clearly it is not.

Census estimates are notoriously unreliable. The 2021 census estimates literally show a third of the top 100 US metros losing population. and maybe that’s true to an extent because of Covid…maybe? But do you seriously believe places like DC lose population like it’s indicated in the census estimate? Or Miami? NYC, San Francisco and LA all lost more population in their metros compared to Chicago’s metro in the census.

And If you looked at what neighborhoods lost/gained population in Chicago in 2020, the narrative of only a small sliver of neighborhoods gaining population with the rest of the city heavily declining is clearly untrue. Even places like South Shore, Washington Park, Bronzeville and Hegewisch saw population growth. Places like Austin, Garfield Park and North Lawndale only lost like 2-3% of their population between 2010-2020 when they were predicted to lose 15% plus.

And I’m not sure exactly what to think about the overall situation of Illinois and how they effects Chicago and vice-versa. It’s tough, but remember Chicago lost like 7% of its population in 2010, and it grew by 2% in 2020. I’m just not sure if that shows a city in decline. Cook County also overall grew when it was predicted to lose population.