Illinois is downsizing now that the kids are gone
The U.S. Census Bureau's estimates of how many people live in our communities is sobering news, but also part of an old story.
Our state , our region and our communities shrink more than they grow. That hurts our ability to attract new employers, because the population we're losing is more likely to be recent grads and younger workers.
Illinois lost 33,703 people in a year, according to the 2017 estimates. Take a longer view, and St. Clair County lost nearly 8,000 residents since 2010 — double what neighboring Madison County lost in that time.
Belleville was responsible for nearly 3,000 of those lost residents, a 6 percent loss for the county's largest community.
Collinsville City Manager Mitch Bair takes issue with the numbers: "Quite frankly, we don’t put a lot of stock in those estimates,” he said.
Maybe, but the Census makes a science out of these estimates and has tried to replace the decennial head count with estimates that it argues are more accurate. The Collinsville number has been trending down since 2010, so something's likely going on there.
Recognizing population loss as an issue is catching on. Alarms are going off among employers and business leaders, who see the loss of younger workers linked with low unemployment numbers as a top problem.
Existing businesses can't find qualified workers. New businesses won't build here if the workforce is weak — that's what we heard in Illinois from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and what the St. Louis region heard from Amazon.
There's lots that can be done. Some communities get it, and are investing in their schools, infrastructure and housing stock.
But boosting the message can't hurt. This is a good place to live. Housing is a great value, there's a small town feel near a major city with all those attractions. It's green, and if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes.
Maybe we need to pass the message along to our kids.
This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Illinois is downsizing now that the kids are gone."