Posted on 03/17/2006 1:30:10 PM PST by george76
Cook County lost more people between 2000 and 2005 than any county in the nation, according to Census Bureau estimates released Thursday that also show continued gains in suburban and exurban counties across the region and portions of the nation.
The new figures--based on administrative records and estimates for births, deaths and net migration--show the county lost more than 73,000 people, or 1.4 percent, since the last official count in April 2000.
The largest-loser designation can partly be attributed to Cook County's massive size, because raw numbers were used for the rankings. Still, among the nation's 10 largest counties, Cook, second largest with 5.3 million residents, was the only one to record a population loss during the 5-year period.
Even on a percentage basis, Cook's decline was large enough to rank it near the bottom quarter of all U.S. counties for population gains and losses.
The notion of fewer residents runs counter to the perception of growth fueled by condominium towers sprouting across Chicago's skyline.
Still, demographers say they are often inhabited by singles, couples and empty nesters--smaller households than the families moving out.
In the collar counties, meanwhile, booming growth continued, especially in the metropolitan area's southwest section. Demographers say many of those moving out of Cook County end up there.
Kendall County, roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago, recorded the nation's third-fastest percentage gain from 2004 to 2005, growing an estimated 9.4 percent, or by about 6,800 people.
Other Rust Belt cities have seen even larger percentage declines.
Wayne County, Mich., which includes Detroit, has lost 3.1 percent of its population since 2000, falling below 2 million for the first time since before 1940. Philadelphia County, Pa.,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, which includes Cleveland, recorded even larger percentage drops between 2000 and 2005.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
While white union workers are moving of the Cook County 'burbs, Latinos & Muslims are quickly replacing the old neighborhoods. The SW Cook Suburbs (Bridgeview, Burbank) look like the Gaza strip.
All true, but not enough to counterbalance the Jaworceks who are leaving Berwyn for Kankakee or the Jacksons who are leaving Harvey for Atlanta.
Unfortunately most young couples do not have six figure
incomes to support those suburban area lifestyles. I hear alot of 20 to 30 yr olds going for Indiana.
The Taxes are very high. The public schools in Chicago and some cook county districts are filled with gangs.
I would like to see a voucher system. But the socialist state
won't do it.
Is the collapse of the Illinois GOP (in the suburbs and exurbs) due only to outward immigration from Chicago proper?
Or has the in-fighting within the Illinois GOP contributed mightily to what you're seeing now?
I don't know much about Chicago.
But when the Mexican national soccer team plays there, they sell 50,000 tickets. More when they play Poland.
Could it be that just as many people as ever live in Cook County, but the number of people who are willing to cooperate with census takers has gone down?
Same in Vermont.
Schools are declining.
The young folks are leaving.
The loss of population in Cook County (Chicago) will not affect its political power. Not unless it begins to lose tombstones too!
The loss of population in Cook County (Chicago) will not affect its political power. Not unless it begins to lose tombstones too!
LOL.
Where did all the cooks go ?
A friend of mine just moved with his wife and five kids to Chicago from Pittsburgh. He bought a house in the far northwest of the city near Norwood Circle. Just a "modest" $750,000! Lucky for him he'd done well in the stock market and owned his $350,000 house in Pittsburgh outright, and was now getting a nice big raise to something like $250,000 per year. Of course, if this is the only type of person who can afford to move there, I don't think that says much for the rest of us having a chance in the city.
If I was going to move to Chicago, I'd be moving either to southern Wisconsin (Kenosha, Lake Geneva, Walworth) or to northwestern Indiana (Portage, Michigan City, Indiana Dunes). Why live in a Democratic machine controlled hell-hole like Illinois?
***Is the collapse of the Illinois GOP (in the suburbs and exurbs) due only to outward immigration from Chicago proper?***
I'd say it is a big part of. Also the nationwide trend of the inner suburbans to the RATS (due to social issues). Gun control is popular in the Chicagoland area.
The GOP controlled the Governorship of IL from 1976-2002. The Governors were "Moderates" from Downstate IL. They campaigned on a platform of honest government. People in the suburbs and Downstate, wary of Chicago corruption infecting the whole state, supported Moderate Republicans for Governor. However when it was revealed that GOP Governor George Ryan was involved in a driver license scandal, the IL GOP lost the wedge issue, it enjoyed for so long.
IL News Ping
They are still all on the voter rolls.
That's OK, they'll keep voting there anyway.
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