(The Center Square) – Illinois will lose one member from the U.S. House of Representatives because of continued population declines.
It was expected Illinois would lose representation, based on year-over-year annual Census estimates showing the state losing an estimated 253,000 residents over the past ten years.
Official numbers from the 10-year Census were released Monday.
“Total U.S. Pop 331,449,281, an increase of 7.4 percent over the 2010 Census, lower than the previous growth rate of 9.7 percent,” Acting Director of the U.S. Census Bureau Ron Jarmin said. “That was the second slowest in U.S. History.”
Counts are based on the number of people living in each state as of April 1, 2020.
In 2010, Illinois had a resident population of nearly 12,830,632 million and 18 U.S. Representatives, down from 19 from the 2000 census. For 2020, Illinois lost another seat and will now have just 17 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Census officials announced Monday. The total resident population was 12,812,739 for 2020.
Illinois was one of seven states that will lose one seat for the Congress that will be seated in 2023.
Illinois has lost ten seats in the U.S. House over the past 110 years, according to Census data. In 1910, Illinois had 27 members of the U.S. House. That dropped by one in 1940, another one in 1950, another in 1960 and then two in 1990 with one every ten years since then.
“The 2020 Census numbers show that Americans continue to vote with their feet,” Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, said in a statement. “People are leaving states where they can’t find economic opportunity and heading to states where they can. If we want to keep our talent and our tax base, our top priority should be passing pro-growth policies that will make Illinois more attractive to students, employers and families.”
The number of Representatives in the U.S. House per state also dictates how many votes a state has in the Electoral College. The data is also used by local governments and nonprofit groups to decide things like funding for programs and where to target resources for things like roads.
Where populations shifted, the southern part of the country grew the fastest with 10.2%. The Midwest grew the slowest at just over 3%, officials said. The state with the largest population was California with 39 million. Smallest was Wyoming with 576,000.
Officials with the Census said various factors lead to the delayed information, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and severe weather and destructive wildfires in parts of the country.
Data for states to redraw legislative districts are expected no later than Sept. 30.
There are 435 members in the U.S. House.
