Where is the most significant growth taking place in Illinois?
According to Metrostudy, a research and data consultancy for the homebuilding industry, homebuilders in Naperville and Elgin have started more than 1,000 new homes in each of the two suburbs from the start of 2011 until this year’s first quarter. Indeed, that is over the course of four years — but those suburbs are the only two in Chicagoland to have seen this kind of activity since the housing bust.
Overall, Illinois reported 10,000 fewer residents in 2014 than in 2013, the largest decline of any state and the first time Illinois’ population has declined in about three decades, according to Northern Illinois University’s Center for Government Studies. The overall population in 2014 was 12,885,580, based on US Census Bureau estimates.
Despite this statewide decline, the census data indicates that Elgin’s population increased by 2,813 to 111,171.
“We’ve been at or near the top of the list of towns for housing starts for several years now, with Naperville usually right behind us, or, recently, slightly ahead of us,” Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain was quoted in the Chicago Tribune as saying.
Other growing communities included Chicago (25,070 new residents), Naperville (3,828), Champaign (3,314), Oswego (2,565), Aurora (2,295) and Plainfield (2,188).