According to newly revised Census Bureau estimates, Chicago added 22,164 residents from mid-2023 to mid-2024, making it the seventh-largest population gain among U.S. cities. This marks a second consecutive year of growth following nearly a decade of decline, reversing a narrative of urban shrinkage and aligning with broader national trends showing growth in most large U.S. cities.
The Census Bureau attributed the change, in part, to updated methods that better account for humanitarian immigration, including arrivals from Venezuela and Ukraine.
Rob Paral, Senior Researcher at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, emphasized the role of migration in driving this growth:
“There’s no question this international crisis-driven migration would have a positive population effect on Chicago,” he explained. “We’ve had tens of thousands of people arriving here.”
Paral’s remarks align with the broader observation that Chicago’s recent gains are closely tied to migration flows. The article suggests that changes in federal immigration policy could shape the city’s demographic trajectory moving forward.
From Crain’s Chicago Business (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)
