Some blame taxes as Illinois grows on paper but loses residents
[March 31, 2026]
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Illinois' population has continued to narrowly
grow this year, despite a significant number of cities in the state
losing residents to other states.
Some say the trend of increasing tax rates is to blame.
The majority of metropolitan areas in the state have lost residents
again in 2025, with Census Bureau data estimates showing only two major
areas with any real domestic growth, Rockford and the Illinois portion
of the St. Louis metro.
Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic analysis for the Illinois
Policy Institute, said taxes are driving Illinoisans beyond state
boundaries.
“Illinois already imposes one of the highest tax burdens in the country,
with the nation’s highest property taxes, among the highest sales taxes,
and a 32% income tax increase in 2017,” Hill said. “If state leaders are
serious about reversing domestic outmigration, they must focus on tax
relief and reducing regulatory barriers to make Illinois more
competitive and affordable.”
Rockford is the only main metro in the state that saw true population
growth, according to the data. The gain came from all areas, domestic
and international migration, and a natural population increase.
The Chicago metro, including surrounding counties, saw a domestic
migration loss of almost 34,000, with the area only growing by 4,200
people when accounting for international migration.
Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for Illinois Governor, also
pointed to state taxes as a big reason people are leaving Illinois.
“It's pretty simple. It's affordability. People can't afford to live
here. I mean that is the number one far and away issue. I have been in
Chicago for the last two weeks,” Bailey said. “Property taxes are too
high – especially for our friends here in Chicago, they have escalated
in the last three years much faster than ours have in the rest of the
state.”
Bailey said schools and public safety are also concerns he believes
could be improved to bring and keep residents in the state.
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Bailey won the Republican primary election for governor earlier this
month and is spending time on the ground in Chicago as part of his
current campaign.
According to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report, Cook County ranks
fifth highest in the nation for international net migration as of
yearly data collected through June 2025.
Accounting for people migrating out of the U.S., the survey found
that the county saw a net gain of just over 27,000 people. In an
expanded area that incorporates the collar counties, that number is
roughly 10,000 more.
The finding is a significant decline from the previous year, but
follows a national trend of decreased immigration.
Asked if he has any concerns of hard-working people from other
countries skipping over Illinois – or the U.S. as a whole –
immigration actions in Illinois, Bailey said he is, saying
Pritzker’s opposition to the Trump administration has made the
situation worse.
“Have there been mistakes made in some of the actions of ICE? Sure
there have. The reason that ICE is having to do what they're doing
is because J.B. Pritzker will not allow state and federal law
enforcement to do their job,” said Bailey.
Other metropolitan areas, including Bloomington, Champaign, Decatur,
Peoria, Kankakee, and Springfield all saw outward migration
domestically, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand people.
Decatur and Kankakee both saw a decline in population when
accounting for international migration and natural population
changes.
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