Lake County Gazette

Illinois is experiencing a significant population decline, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau analyzed by the Illinois Policy Institute. Since 2020, 84% of communities in the state have seen a decrease in residents, with small towns being particularly affected. Over 900 of Illinois's 1,294 communities with populations around 10,000 have lost residents in the past five years.

State Representative Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, attributes this trend to high taxes and criticizes Democratic policies. "Democrats haven't recognized two letters that they seem not to understand," McLaughlin said. "It's the letter N and the letter O. They have not said ‘no’ to any of these social programs, to any of the social experiments."

Chicago has also experienced a population decline, losing over 27,000 residents in 2024 compared to April 2020 levels. This occurred despite an influx of international migrants, which increased the city's population by approximately 22,000 in 2024.

McLaughlin believes that Republican-proposed solutions could address these issues. He argues that current spending should focus on reducing property taxes, business taxes, and regulation rather than on identity politics and social engineering programs.

A poll conducted by NPR Illinois and the University of Illinois in 2019 revealed that more than six out of ten residents considered leaving the state due to high taxes.

Information from this article can be found here.