Chicago's population grew by only 82 residents last year, (Washington, Paris: 2015, crime)

[chicagogeorge]

On the bright side, at least it's not a loss....

Chicago's population grew by only 82 residents last year, giving it the dubious distinction of being the slowest-growing city among the top 10 U.S. cities with 1 million or more residents.

Won't be for long. Houston will overtake Chicago as #3

With a population of 2,722,389 residents as of July 1, 2014, Chicago still easily holds its place as the nation's third-largest city, according to estimates released Thursday by the Census Bureau. But cities on both sides of it are gaining.

As expensive it is to live in NYC (and LA), they still can attract large numbers of people

New York maintained its ranking as the nation's largest city, gaining 52,700 residents last year, for a gain of 0.6 percent that pushed its population to 8,491,079. Los Angeles added 30,924 residents, up 0.8 percent and bringing its population to 3,928,864.

So the 1990's was an anomaly.

"The boom of Chicago in the 1990s was due to immigration," said Rob Paral, a Chicago-based demographer who advises nonprofits and community groups. "You take away that catalyst of immigration, and you see what we have. They're going to different parts of the country, and there's much less immigration to the U.S. than there was decades ago.

This should be a no brainer...

"Texas, as an example, has been a magnet for a lot of lower-paying jobs and has the benefit of lower housing costs. If you're making $15 an hour, the difference between making it where a house costs $100,000 and $300,000 is great."

The way Crook County is run, I wonder why they haven't lost more people

In the six-county Chicago area, only Kendall County has seen more international and domestic residents move into the county than leave it between 2010 and 2014, according to census data. Meanwhile, just in 2013, the international migration of 19,520 people into Cook County was not enough to offset the exit of 48,625 residents from the county.

Chicago's population ekes out really small gain - Chicago Tribune

[Lookout Kid]

Keep in mind that your statistics are based on Census Dept estimates, not real population figures. And they have been notoriously inaccurate in the past. No one really knows how many people live in Chicago, and most experts believe the Census has drastically under-counted in Chicago in 2010 and 2000.

But Chicago is not likely to see explosive population growth any time in the near future.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

Won't be for long. Houston will overtake Chicago as #3

I don't know why people attach so much meaning to this. You can't build a new Chicago or New York or Paris or London in the 21st Century. The traditions, architecture, and feel of the city just can't be re-created today, and a larger Houston will still just be Houston. Bigger is definitely NOT better.

[chicagogeorge]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Keep in mind that your statistics are based on Census Dept estimates, not real population figures. And they have been notoriously inaccurate in the past. No one really knows how many people live in Chicago, .

.

You are correct, during the 2000's the Census estimated a stable population for Chicago, and yet the 2010, we found out that the city lost nearly 200,000 people.

and most experts believe the Census has drastically under-counted in Chicago in 2010 and 2000

drastically undercounted?

The administration estimates the census missed as many as 2,350 Chicagoans,

Emanuel mounting challenge to census showing dip of 200K Chicago residents - tribunedigital-chicagotribune

But Chicago is not likely to see explosive population growth any time in the near future

It will continue to bleed out residents, probably not stabilizing until it drops to about 2.2 million

[thefallensrvnge]

"Texas, as an example, has been a magnet for a lot of lower-paying jobs and has the benefit of lower housing costs. If you're making $15 an hour, the difference between making it where a house costs $100,000 and $300,000 is great."

Well if it's anything like some of the other Right-to-Work states I've lived in, you get paid little to live in cheap, crappy housing with most of your taxes not going towards benefits or infrastructure. Most of it goes towards paying off the taxes incentives businesses used to relocate and build there which they horde and refuse to invest in city infrastructure. So basically you begin to a get a city that looks like unzoned suburbia that grows through annexation because it lack the structural density to grow any other way.

Not to say that Chicago is doing it perfectly either, cause it's not. But the "miracle of the Sun-belt" has been one large screw-over for the American worker imo.

[steeps]

Originally Posted by chicagogeorge

On the bright side, at least it's not a loss....

Won't be for long. Houston will overtake Chicago as #3

As expensive it is to live in NYC (and LA), they still can attract large numbers of people

So the 1990's was an anomaly.

This should be a no brainer...

The way Crook County is run, I wonder why they haven't lost more people

Chicago's population ekes out really small gain - Chicago Tribune

I'm not sure..... what you want others to say? Some look for ANY reason to demean and declare Chicago's decline to Detroit. PROBABLY SOME WILL COME HERE. Spew Crime in gang related murders and Chicago seen as Bad Winter Capital by many? THOUGH, NOT PUTTING THIS THREAD IN THE GENERAL US SIDE OD C-D SHOULD LESSEN THAT. Doesn't help? But Black flight has been occurring too , especially in children count. Previous Census seen as a vast undercount.

Removing ALL the notorious Housing Projects over the last decade, displaced 200,000 people. It reasons, that a good portion of them may have left the city over them years? With the 10s of thousands increase in Downtown areas, Chicago had largest downtown population growth from 2000 to 2010 could not replace Black flight and even some white families with school age children for suburban schools that left.

Young Urban Professionals still are moving into the city as gentrification continues. Sadly... once they have school age children, the may move for better schools? But when visitors visit the city. See its Downtown and the Lakefront and clean streets. They DO NOT SEE SIGNS OF A CITY IN DECLINE.

As for HOUSTON Overtaking Chicago city proper in population coming? It is much easier for Texas bigger cities to Annex their outlier areas. Houston has been doing so for some time now. Chicago cannot. But it IS a Sunbelt city that IS growing steady. Its mild winters and more vibrant Texas economy. Makes it more inviting to less educated relocating families from the north. That will continue.

Ironically, according to "United Van Lines". 2014-09-09 Americans move to Chicago, Washington D. C. and Atlanta CHICAGO is on TOP for Moves into the City, with HOUSTON Moves Out. But Overall HOUSTON is Growing Steadily. HOUSTONS GOAL AND AIM, AS A STATUS OF ARRIVAL. WILL BE TO DECLARE 3RD CITY (city proper Only) STATUS TO THE WORLD. DC is seeking Chicago's whole metro population claim... to have surpassed it.

Tourist Wise? Chicago gets more National Tourist approaching 50 million/yr. Chicago Breaks 50 Million Mark for Visitors | TravelPulse But NYC just get the HUGE numbers of International visitors as their Top choice, as the World's City. International Educated immigration. Is also adding to much of NYC's growth. Most of Chicago's still comes from within the Midwest and nation.

Top 10 MAJOR CITIES OF THE FUTURE 2015/16 – OVERALL RANK (though the chart says American cities) American Cities of the Future 2015/16 Winners - Locations - fDiIntelligence.com. But you Still have to Open this PDF, to see the listings. American Cities of the Future 2015.pdf

1. New York City, New York
2. San Francisco, California
3. Houston, Texas
4. Boston, Massachusetts
5. Toronto, Ontario
6. Atlanta, Georgia
7. Miami, Florida
8. Chicago, Illinois
9. Montréal, Québec
10. São Paulo, Brazil

CHICAGO..... also makes #9 for ECONOMIC POTENTIAL and HUMAN CAPITAL and LIFESTYLE Chart too.
Not bad for a City SOME ON C-D Proclaim a " Has Been" to becoming Another Detroit? Because of its Debt...... "CHICAGO" IS THE ONLY FORMER RUST BELT CITY ON THE LIST.

SURPPRISINGLY... LA AND DC.... DID NOT MAKE THESE LISTINGS.

[marothisu]

Not surprised, but I am more concerned with the economic data than pure population numbers. The estimates show that the number of households making a good salary in Chicago is growing at a good rate (surprisingly more than SF, Dallas, Austin, etc).

[Vlajos]

Unfortunately, it's likely African Americans are still leaving the city at a fast clip. Like what happened in the 2000s. I'm not really sure what can be done to stop it though. It's almost certain that whites are the largest population group now.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

Unfortunately, it's likely African Americans are still leaving the city at a fast clip. Like what happened in the 2000s. I'm not really sure what can be done to stop it though. It's almost certain that whites are the largest population group now.

I'm not sure why they would stay. The poor African American sections of Chicago have become stagnant traps of very limited opportunity, and we still have a significant white population that seems determined to keep them there. The Great Migration occurred because Chicago seemed like a better alternative to conditions in the Jim Crow south, but after eight decades or so of stagnation it is not such a better alternative.

[yoyoniner]

No surprise when you have the worst city and state in the country (economically and politically speaking) and with the worst debt and no hope of that changing anytime soon. People know. People here want to leave (in general) and people not here are scared to come, in my experience. We recruit for good paying hospital jobs and the docs don't want to even look here anymore. This is a huge change from 2000-2007 where it was very easy to recruit people.

The scary difference with our problems is they don't seem to get fixed. There is a very strong political/union/democrat stronghold here and very little balance in local politics, so change seems very very difficult.