So, like, Illinois has this new third-largest city now, right? It’s all because of some new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, showing that one Chicago suburb totally knocked another one off its high horse to claim the title. Chicago and Aurora are still holding strong as the top two cities in the state, but now Naperville has jumped over Joliet to snag the No. 3 spot.
The latest estimates, which list the population of each town as of July 1, 2024, reveal that Naperville now has a population of 153,124, with a growth of nearly 2,000 residents since 2023. Joliet, on the other hand, has been bumped down to the fourth spot with a population of 151,837. These two suburbs are like neck and neck, ranking 178th and 179th across the whole U.S., respectively.
The population boom in Naperville mirrors the increases seen in Chicago and nationwide, with the Windy City gaining over 22,000 residents between mid-2023 and mid-2024. Rockford, the fifth-largest city in Illinois, also saw a slight increase of nearly 700 residents, bringing its estimated population to 147,486. Elgin, another Chicago suburb, claimed the sixth spot with a growth of just under 800 residents and an estimated population of 114,701. Springfield, the state’s seventh-largest city, was the only municipality in Illinois to see a decline in population, losing over 50 residents in the same timeframe. Peoria and Champaign rounded out the top 10 cities in the state, with Waukegan claiming the 10th spot. So, like, not really sure why this matters, but hey, it’s kinda interesting, right?
