Are you ready for a popular narrative to be shattered? Those that love to talk about how everyone is leaving Illinois will have some explaining to do as new data from the US Census shows that population in Illinois grew big time in 2024.
I can't remember the year, but I recall that St. Louis used to be one of the 20 largest cities in America. Not anymore. How much has St. Louis shrunk? 70 cities in America now boast a larger population than the Gateway City.
I was always under the impression that the population in Kansas City, Missouri has exploded upward in recent years. That perception is apparently wrong (partially) based on new data that shows parts of the city are actually shrinking.
Populations come and go as life happens, but one specific Illinois city is shrinking so fast one out of every ten residents has left in the past 5 years alone.
There is a reason why Missouri is known as "the Heartland" to many. It's right in the middle of America and that includes population, but that "center" is on the move meaning it might not always remain in Missouri as a new map shows.