New Census data indicates the third largest city in Illinois is leading the state in population decline.
Illinois has about 1,300 incorporated villages, towns and cities. From 2010 to last year, Rockford’s population declined by 2.5 percent, or nearly 4,000 people.
That’s the biggest numerical drop of any city during that period.
Naperville added about the same number of residents during that time. It has the second largest increase of Illinois cities, followed by Champaign, Elgin, Oswego, Aurora and Plainfield.
The census numbers were provided to Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies, which monitors demographic changes in Illinois.
