BIG PICTURE: Rural population loss in Illinois is rampant

 

Illinois has 102 counties, and most of them can be classified as rural.

Alexander County (county seat: Cairo) has experienced an 82% drop in population since its 1940 peak of 25,496.  It now has fewer residents than it did before the Civil War.

 

Source:  Wikipedia

Sources: Illinois Policy (2021)  Illinois Policy (2022), Illinois Policy (2023), Illinois Policy (2024)

From Illinois Policy (2022)

While Illinois’ most populous areas are losing the largest number of residents, population decline is happening at the fastest rates in the state’ more rural areas. Alexander County and Edwards County led the state in population decline as a share of population.

Source:  Wikipedia

Related reading:

The Rural Yonder, 4/2/2024

Related posts:

April 2024

BIG PICTURE:   Rural Kansas counties continue to lose population.  (4/2)

BIG PICTURE:  Alabama and the long decline of rural population.  (4/2)

Population loss:  Northern and western rural counties lead the way in Pennsylvania.  (4/2)

BIG PICTURE:  Then there's rural Valley County, Montana, where the population has dropped 56% since its 1960 peak of 17,080.  (4/2)

March 2024

Residents of fastest growing county in Arkansas aren't big fans of Donald Trump.  (3/23)

Population loss along U.S. highway 6 in Pennsylvania.  (3/19)

14 of Wisconsin's 72 counties have experienced population gain of at least 1% since 2020.  (3/18)

One-third of Wisconsin's 72 counties have lost population since 2020.  (3/18)

2019

Population loss in rural Illinois (series)

Population loss in rural Kansas (series)