advertisement

Naperville's growing population could overtake Rockford

Naperville saw the state's second-largest population increase between 2010 and 2014, and the city could be on pace to overtake Rockford in one or two years, census data suggests.

Naperville is the fifth-largest city in Illinois, behind Chicago, Aurora, Rockford and Joliet. It added 3,828 residents in those four years, according to census data provided to the Northern Illinois University Center for Government Studies.

Naperville's raw population growth was second only to Chicago, which added 25,070 people to reach a population of 2.7 million. Naperville now has 146,128 residents, while Rockford, the third-largest city, has roughly 3,000 more with 149,123 residents.

Rockford lost 3,840 people between 2010 and 2014, and if trends continue, it soon will have fewer people than both Naperville and Joliet, the NIU report said.

Joliet, which has 147,806 residents, trails Rockford by only about 1,300 people.

The changes in city populations came as Illinois' total population declined by nearly 10,000 residents between 2013 and 2014. This was the first time the state's population has decreased since the mid-1980s, and the change represented the largest numerical drop in population of any state in the nation, according to the NIU report.

"When communities lose population, it's typically a sign of lost jobs or an aging population," Sherrie Taylor, a Center for Government Studies researcher said in a news release. "The national birthrate has been decreasing as families are starting later in life and not having as many children. This trend, coupled with the aging baby boomer generation, is creating a decrease in the population throughout Illinois."

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.