Governor Jim Thompson had a demographer who moonlighted as the owner of a Chinese restaurant.
After the 1980 Census he wrote a paper and was ready to submit it for publication.
But, first, it needed clearance from the Governor’s Office.
He was forced to change the part where he wrote that Chicago was gone (I’m sure those were not his words, but that captures the substance).
The question, he reasoned was weather the rest of the state could be saved.
Now come this decade’s analysis, found in State Senator Chris Balkema’s newletter:
New IRS Migration Data Shows Continued Outflow of People and Income
Recent IRS data covering 2022–2023 shows that Illinois continues to lose residents and income to other states.
Over that period, about 54,000 people, including tax filers and their dependents, left Illinois, ranking it third‑highest in the nation for net domestic out‑migration. Importantly, those leaving brought higher average incomes ($104,000) than those moving in ($79,000), meaning more wealth is exiting the state than entering it.
Since 2000, Illinois has seen a net loss of roughly 780,000 taxpayers and 1.6 million residents, with an estimated $94 billion in adjusted gross income going with them.
These figures highlight ongoing challenges for Illinois’ tax base and economic competitiveness.
