(Greg Bishop, The Center Square) – More than 87,000 people moved out of Illinois taking with them nearly $10 billion in income, according to the latest Internal Revenue Service data. For the last six years, the total lost adjusted gross income is more than $47.5 billion.
For nearly a decade, annual population estimates from the U.S. Census show Illinois losing population. For well over a year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has denied the state’s population decline, saying the Census is getting it wrong. In May, he doubled down.
“You should take what I’m saying as truth that actually when we count people, it turns out we’re gaining,” Pritzker said.
The U.S. Census did recently revise Illinois’ population upward from previous estimates, but the state still continues to lose population.
It’s not just Census data showing Illinois’ loss. Moving companies routinely show Illinois among the states with the most people moving out year after year. IRS data also shows the continued population decline, and with that the federal agency provides receipts.
IRS data released this week shows between calendar years 2021 and 2022, the number of people flowing into Illinois was nearly 177,000 and the number flowing out was over 264,000, a net loss of 87,286.
State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said by Democrats continuing to deny population decline, they continue bad policies.
“We’re not bringing in the best and the brightest in many cases to the state of Illinois, we’re actually pushing them out of the state with horrible policies and we’re back filling it with folks that want services,” Chesney told The Center Square.
He said the state’s sanctuary status policies welcome non-citizen migrants that cost taxpayers money and taxpayers are fed up and there doesn’t seem to be any policy changes to reverse course.
“It’s certainly not happening right now and the people are no longer voting, they’re leaving,” Chesney said.
While 14,486 people moved to Illinois from California in 2022, bringing with them $1.5 billion in income, the latest IRS data shows 31,600 of those who left Illinois went to Florida, taking with them $4.1 billion dollars.
Total lost income out of Illinois because of outmigration was $9.8 billion in 2022. Last year’s IRS migration report found 105,000 fewer individuals, taking with them $10.6 billion. The year before that, nearly 101,000 people left Illinois, taking with them $8.5 billion.
For the calendar year 2018 to 2019, IRS data shows 82,107 fewer individuals in Illinois, taking with them nearly $6 billion. From 2017 to 2018, data shows 87,673 fewer exemptions and $5.6 billion in lost adjusted gross income. In calendar year 2016 to 2017, IRS data shows 133,769 fewer exemptions, taking with them $6.8 billion.
Chesney said what needs to happen is a focus on public safety, lower taxes and reformed regulations.
“And it can be fixed, and it can be fixed in seconds if somebody would just put their foot down and demand better,” he said.
The latest tally of IRS data indicates the total number of lost adjusted gross income from people moving out of the state is $47.5 billion in the past six years.
