Lake County saw its population decrease by 3,360, or 0.5 percent, over the last decade, according to a new analysis from Wirepoints.org that is based on U.S. Census Bureau data.
Lake recorded the 11th largest loss among Illinois’ 102 counties during the years 2010 to 2018, Wirepoints reported. The county’s 2018 population was 700,832.
Statewide, only nine of the 102 counties gained residents during that time period. Illinois lost more people over that time than any other state, according to the analysis, and only three other states – West Virginia, Connecticut and Vermont – saw their populations contract since 2010.
Illinois’ total population declined by 100,000 during that time period, the study said. Wirepoints attributed the state’s population drop to high tax rates, declining home values, a public pension crisis and an overall lack of economic opportunities.
Downstate counties sustained the worst population losses per capita, since that region lost 120,000 residents from 2010 to 2018. Of the five collar counties, DuPage, Will and Kane recorded population gains, making that region the only growth area in the state, according to the study.
Many of the new collar county residents relocated from Cook County, Wirepoints reported. Numerically, Cook suffered the greatest population loss over the time period examined.
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Illinois Counties’ Population Changes From 2010 to 2018
| County | 2010 Population | 2018 Population | Population Loss / Gain | Percentage Change | Rank |
| Cook | 5,199,166 | 5,180,493 | -18,673 | -0.4% | 1 |
| Winnebago | 295,088 | 284,081 | -11,007 | -3.7% | 2 |
| St. Clair | 270,342 | 261,059 | -9,283 | -3.4% | 3 |
| Macon | 110,784 | 104,712 | -6,072 | -5.5% | 4 |
| Peoria | 186,221 | 180,621 | -5,600 | -3.0% | 5 |
| Madison | 269,346 | 264,461 | -4,885 | -1.8% | 6 |
| Vermilion | 81,639 | 76,806 | -4,833 | -5.9% | 7 |
| LaSalle | 113,816 | 109,430 | -4,386 | -3.9% | 8 |
| Rock Island | 147,616 | 143,477 | -4,139 | -2.8% | 9 |
| Kankakee | 113,419 | 110,024 | -3,395 | -3.0% | 10 |
| Lake | 704,192 | 700,832 | -3,360 | -0.5% | 11 |
| Tazewell | 135,486 | 132,328 | -3,158 | -2.3% | 12 |
| Livingston | 38,856 | 35,761 | -3,095 | -8.0% | 13 |
| Coles | 53,868 | 50,885 | -2,983 | -5.5% | 14 |
| Jackson | 60,376 | 57,419 | -2,957 | -4.9% | 15 |
| Stephenson | 47,607 | 44,753 | -2,854 | -6.0% | 16 |
| Whiteside | 58,478 | 55,626 | -2,852 | -4.9% | 17 |
| Knox | 52,913 | 50,112 | -2,801 | -5.3% | 18 |
| McDonough | 32,628 | 29,955 | -2,673 | -8.2% | 19 |
| Ogle | 53,423 | 50,923 | -2,500 | -4.7% | 20 |
| Macoupin | 47,799 | 45,313 | -2,486 | -5.2% | 21 |
| Sangamon | 197,767 | 195,348 | -2,419 | -1.2% | 22 |
| Fulton | 37,074 | 34,844 | -2,230 | -6.0% | 23 |
| Alexander | 8,206 | 6,060 | -2,146 | -26.2% | 24 |
| Christian | 34,764 | 32,661 | -2,103 | -6.0% | 25 |
| Iroquois | 29,701 | 27,604 | -2,097 | -7.1% | 26 |
| Bureau | 34,959 | 32,993 | -1,966 | -5.6% | 27 |
| Marion | 39,419 | 37,620 | -1,799 | -4.6% | 28 |
| Lee | 35,976 | 34,223 | -1,753 | -4.9% | 29 |
| Morgan | 35,505 | 33,976 | -1,529 | -4.3% | 30 |
| Montgomery | 30,095 | 28,601 | -1,494 | -5.0% | 31 |
| Adams | 67,160 | 65,691 | -1,469 | -2.2% | 32 |
| Cass | 13,638 | 12,260 | -1,378 | -10.1% | 33 |
| Henry | 50,453 | 49,090 | -1,363 | -2.7% | 34 |
| Logan | 30,284 | 28,925 | -1,359 | -4.5% | 35 |
| Randolph | 33,463 | 32,106 | -1,357 | -4.1% | 36 |
| Franklin | 40,035 | 38,701 | -1,334 | -3.3% | 37 |
| Massac | 15,380 | 14,080 | -1,300 | -8.5% | 38 |
| Jo Daviess | 22,648 | 21,366 | -1,282 | -5.7% | 39 |
| Hancock | 19,091 | 17,844 | -1,247 | -6.5% | 40 |
| Lawrence | 16,940 | 15,765 | -1,175 | -6.9% | 41 |
| Bond | 17,787 | 16,630 | -1,157 | -6.5% | 42 |
| Edgar | 18,507 | 17,360 | -1,147 | -6.2% | 43 |
| Perry | 22,315 | 21,174 | -1,141 | -5.1% | 44 |
| Jersey | 22,970 | 21,847 | -1,123 | -4.9% | 45 |
| Marshall | 12,629 | 11,534 | -1,095 | -8.7% | 46 |
| Mason | 14,651 | 13,565 | -1,086 | -7.4% | 47 |
| Carroll | 15,392 | 14,312 | -1,080 | -7.0% | 48 |
| DeKalb | 105,147 | 104,143 | -1,004 | -1.0% | 49 |
| Saline | 24,901 | 23,906 | -995 | -4.0% | 50 |
| Crawford | 19,802 | 18,807 | -995 | -5.0% | 51 |
| Jefferson | 38,759 | 37,820 | -939 | -2.4% | 52 |
| White | 14,600 | 13,665 | -935 | -6.4% | 53 |
| Union | 17,735 | 16,841 | -894 | -5.0% | 54 |
| Greene | 13,890 | 13,044 | -846 | -6.1% | 55 |
| De Witt | 16,590 | 15,769 | -821 | -4.9% | 56 |
| Ford | 14,081 | 13,264 | -817 | -5.8% | 57 |
| Mercer | 16,410 | 15,601 | -809 | -4.9% | 58 |
| Pike | 16,394 | 15,611 | -783 | -4.8% | 59 |
| Washington | 14,712 | 13,995 | -717 | -4.9% | 60 |
| Fayette | 22,130 | 21,416 | -714 | -3.2% | 61 |
| Clark | 16,291 | 15,596 | -695 | -4.3% | 62 |
| Warren | 17,719 | 17,032 | -687 | -3.9% | 63 |
| Pulaski | 6,122 | 5,463 | -659 | -10.8% | 64 |
| Henderson | 7,343 | 6,709 | -634 | -8.6% | 65 |
| Schuyler | 7,535 | 6,907 | -628 | -8.3% | 66 |
| Shelby | 22,358 | 21,741 | -617 | -2.8% | 67 |
| Clay | 13,827 | 13,253 | -574 | -4.2% | 68 |
| Stark | 5,970 | 5,427 | -543 | -9.1% | 69 |
| Boone | 54,103 | 53,577 | -526 | -1.0% | 70 |
| Gallatin | 5,574 | 5,058 | -516 | -9.3% | 71 |
| Douglas | 19,982 | 19,479 | -503 | -2.5% | 72 |
| McHenry | 309,061 | 308,570 | -491 | -0.2% | 73 |
| Richland | 16,194 | 15,763 | -431 | -2.7% | 74 |
| Menard | 12,696 | 12,288 | -408 | -3.2% | 75 |
| Hardin | 4,318 | 3,910 | -408 | -9.4% | 76 |
| Wayne | 16,738 | 16,332 | -406 | -2.4% | 77 |
| Scott | 5,327 | 4,926 | -401 | -7.5% | 78 |
| Wabash | 11,916 | 11,549 | -367 | -3.1% | 79 |
| Brown | 6,919 | 6,556 | -363 | -5.2% | 80 |
| Edwards | 6,734 | 6,392 | -342 | -5% | 81 |
| Piatt | 16,709 | 16,396 | -313 | -1.9% | 82 |
| Calhoun | 5,096 | 4,802 | -294 | -5.8% | 83 |
| Hamilton | 8,446 | 8,163 | -283 | -3.4% | 84 |
| Putnam | 6,012 | 5,740 | -272 | -4.5% | 85 |
| Pope | 4,470 | 4,212 | -258 | -5.8% | 86 |
| Cumberland | 11,053 | 10,808 | -245 | -2.2% | 87 |
| Woodford | 38,670 | 38,463 | -207 | -0.5% | 88 |
| Clinton | 37,840 | 37,639 | -201 | -0.5% | 89 |
| Johnson | 12,608 | 12,456 | -152 | -1.2% | 90 |
| Moultrie | 14,860 | 14,717 | -143 | -1.0% | 91 |
| Jasper | 9,725 | 9,611 | -114 | -1.2% | 92 |
| Effingham | 34,223 | 34,208 | -15 | 0.0% | 93 |
| Williamson | 66,432 | 67,056 | 624 | 0.9% | 94 |
| Grundy | 50,152 | 50,972 | 820 | 1.6% | 95 |
| Monroe | 32,997 | 34,335 | 1,338 | 4.1% | 96 |
| McLean | 169,810 | 172,828 | 3,018 | 1.8% | 97 |
| Champaign | 201,541 | 209,983 | 8,442 | 4.2% | 98 |
| DuPage | 918,029 | 928,589 | 10,560 | 1.2% | 99 |
| Kendall | 115,377 | 127,915 | 12,538 | 10.9% | 100 |
| Williamson | 678,818 | 692,310 | 13,492 | 2.0% | 101 |
| Kane | 516,144 | 534,216 | 18,072 | 3.5% | 102 |
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