Illinois drops from 5th to 6th in population. What’s driving people out?

Illinois has dropped from the fifth-most-populous state to sixth-most-populous state in the country, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday.

The state’s population dropped by more than 33,700 people between July 2016 and July 2017, according to the estimates.

The Census Bureau only released state and national figures; local estimates are expected to be released next year.

Pennsylvania moved up to the fifth spot in terms of population in the estimates.

Illinois was one of eight states to lose population, and had the largest numeric decline, the Census Bureau said. The bureau added that the 33,700-person drop was a relatively small percentage change compared to Illinois’ population of 12.8 million people.

A 2016 poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale found that taxes are the biggest reason people want to leave the state.

In the poll, 27 percent of people who want to leave cited taxes as the motive for departing, 16 percent said weather, 15 percent said government, and 13 percent said jobs and education.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Illinois drops from 5th to 6th in population. What’s driving people out?."