With 2019 wrapping up, a lot of people are looking at the decade as a whole. And according to data by the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois suffered its sixth consecutive year of population decline. More and more people are leaving Illinois and moving to other places around the country.

WTVO details -

Numbers show, since 2010 Illinois has lost 159,751 residents or 1.2% of the population.  Only West Virginia, had a higher percentage of loss at 3.3%. From July 2018 to July 2019, Illinois lost 51,000 residents, the second-largest drop in the US behind New York. The data also showed, if the state had simply grown at the same rate as the national average since 2007, Illinois’ population would be 1.14 million residents, or 9%, larger than it is today.

So what would Illinois be like going into 2020 if all of that had actually happened? According to WTVO -

That would have brought in $78 billion in additional economic activity.

Well, you know what they say, better luck next decade.

Listen to MJ on 97ZOK every morning 5:30 to 10 AM.  Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.  

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5