A chart tweeted recently by an independent policy group shows a disturbing trend of Illinois residents leaving the state, with only nine of 102 counties relatively unaffected. Winnebago County was not one of them.
Winnebago County lost 2,506 residents between mid-2015 and mid-2016, the U.S. Census statistics delivered by the lllinois Policy Institute show. That figure is among the 10 highest among Illinois counties.
The information is supported by a recent Chicago Tribune article, which said the 2016 Illinois population dropped by 37,508 due to outmigration. The state also saw 28,497 people leave in 2015 and 11,961 in 2014. Illinois has had the greatest loss of population of any state for the past three years.
Outmigration can lead to significant financial issues for counties, the Tribune warned, since state and federal funding can be based on population.
Only Cook, DuPage, Lake and Peoria counties lost more residents than Winnebago.
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