Thomas Hawk
Racial populations in Chicagoland have shifted significantly over the past five years.
As we've established, the Chicago region is suffering from a declining population. We rank 20th out of 20 for growth among the largest cities in America.
But within that story is another story: who's flocking to Chicagoland, and who's saying goodbye. The graph below describes a region that attracts Latinos and Asians, while white and black Chicagoans are hitting the road.
The marginal increases in Asian and Latino populations over the past five years weren’t able to negate the dramatic loss in white or black population, meaning that the entire region saw an overall population loss. This trend has been a concern to not only Chicago, but the entire state of Illinois as the white population has fled elsewhere.
Clearly, we need to consider why these folks are leaving and what we can do to make them stay. The Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is focusing on the themes of equity and growth this year, and our Annual Luncheon on Nov. 4, Challenging Inequality, Driving Growth, will explore how Chicago can grow equitably for everybody.