Galesburg Reporter

Knox saw its population decrease by 2,801, or 5.3 percent, over the last decade, according to a new analysis from Wirepoints.org that is based on U.S. Census Bureau data. 

Knox recorded the 18th largest loss among Illinois’ 102 counties during the years 2010 to 2018, Wirepoints reported. The county’s 2018 population was 50,112. 

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

Source: Wirepoints.org