U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 Population Estimates for Illinois Counties

Kendall County Continues As Fastest Growing Illinois County

NIPC News Release

Right click here to download an Excel file with multiple worksheets displaying the July 2004 to July 2005 and
April 2000 to July 2005 population changes for all Illinois counties

Benefiting from its proximity to large population and employment bases in northeastern Illinois, Kendall County remained the fastest-growing county in Illinois with a 9.4% population increase from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Kendall County, with 79,514 residents, was also the 3^rd fastest-growing county in the nation from 2004 to 2005, and 4^th fastest nationally since the 2000 Census with an overall population increase of 46%.

According to the estimates, seven of the top-10 fastest-growing Illinois counties between 2004 and 2005 were located in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet-IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).  These included Grundy County, Kendall’s neighbor to the south, ranking 2^nd at 6.5%; Will County, 4^th at 4.1%; and McHenry County, 5th at 2.6%.  The fellow MSA counties of DeKalb, Kane, and Lake were also among the 10 fastest growing ones in Illinois

Rank	10 Fastest-Growing Illinois Counties 2004-2005	Percent Change	Rank	10 Slowest-Growing Illinois Counties 2004-2005	Percent Change
1	.Kendall County	9.4%	1	.Alexander County	-3.3%
2	.Grundy County	6.5%	2	.Pulaski County	-2.2%
3	.Boone County	4.2%	3	.Pope County	-1.7%
4	.Will County	4.1%	4	.Washington County	-1.3%
5	.McHenry County	2.6%	5	.Henderson County	-1.2%
6	.DeKalb County	2.5%	6	.Hamilton County	-1.1%
7	.Kane County	2.0%	7	.Hancock County	-1.1%
8	.Monroe County	1.8%	8	.McDonough County	-1.0%
9	.Ogle County	1.4%	9	.Mason County	-0.9%
10	.Lake County	1.4%	10	.Knox County	-0.9%

Rapidly-growing Will County, which includes the cities of Joliet, Romeoville, Plainfield, and Bolingbrook, was estimated to have gained 140,500 residents since the 2000 Census, by far the largest numerical increase posted by the state’s 102 counties and 11^th highest among the nation’s 3,141 counties. In the year from July 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005, Will County’s population grew 25,319, nearly one-half of the statewide increase of 51,355.  Will County remains well on pace to become the state’s 3^rd largest county by 2010, behind only Cook and DuPage Counties.

Rounding out the top five Illinois counties estimated to have added the largest number of residents between 2004 and 2005 were Lake, Kane, McHenry, and Kendall Counties, each of which added at least 6,000 more residents.

Other highlights:

Growth: 2004-2005

·          Population in the six counties (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will) that form the service area for the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) was estimated at 8,364,400 in July 2005, up 29,700 from July 2004.

·          The five collar counties together increased population by 53,200, more than offsetting a decline of 23,500 in Cook County, the second most populous county in the nation.

·          Population growth in DuPage County, one of the nation’s fastest growing counties a quarter century ago, has flattened out, up less than 1,000 from 2004 to 2005.

Growth: 2000-2005

Date	Population Counts, 2000 Census and 2000-2005 Annual Estimates
	.Cook County	.DuPage County	.Kane County	.Lake County	.McHenry County	.Will County	6-County Area
2000 Census	5,376,741	904,161	404,119	644,356	260,077	502,266	8,091,720
July 1, 2000	5,377,536	906,743	407,695	648,800	261,689	508,339	8,110,802
July 1, 2001	5,378,928	915,157	424,929	662,328	270,110	533,275	8,184,727
July 1, 2002	5,365,567	921,047	442,491	675,047	279,015	559,381	8,242,548
July 1, 2003	5,349,219	924,495	458,379	682,335	288,559	585,609	8,288,596
July 1, 2004	5,327,165	928,126	472,761	692,869	296,260	617,494	8,334,675
July 1, 2005	5,303,683	929,113	482,113	702,682	303,990	642,813	8,364,394

• Population in NIPC’s six county service area rose 272,350 from the 2000 Census to July 2005.  This accounted for four-fifths the statewide increase in the same period.

• The increase in population in the five collar counties since the 2000 Census was estimated at 345,500, slightly higher than the statewide increase of 343,700 in the same period

• Will, McHenry, and Kane Counties are much more reliant on in-migration to fuel growth than natural increases (births exceeding deaths).  DuPage County has joined Cook County in having more migrants who move out than move in.

*Total population change includes residual - see "State and County Terms & Definitions"

According to the Census Bureau, the new population estimates, which use administrative data and estimates for births, deaths and net migration, are based on Census 2000 population counts updated to reflect any official census corrections.

Tables prepared by the NIPC Research Services Department.  Right click here to download an Excel file with multiple worksheets displaying the July 2004 to July 2005 and April 2000 to July 2005 population change for all Illinois counties

Source:  Population Estimates Program, Population Division, U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Internet Release Date:  March 16, 2006.

Posted 4/16/06