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Illinois and Iowa populations shift in opposite directions

Illinois and Iowa have a lot of differences, and one of them is how state population is shifting.
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WASHINGTON D.C. — Illinois and Iowa have a lot of differences, and one of them is how state population is shifting.

U.S. Census Bureau estimates, released on Wednesday, Dec. 20, show opposite population trends with Iowa growing and Illinois shrinking.

Illinois had one of the largest declines in the nation, coming second to New York, according to Illinois News Network. Illinois’ net total fell by 45,116, with 114,154 people exiting the state. That makes Illinois now the sixth largest state, falling behind Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Iowa grew by 12,508 residents, according to the Associated Press. Gary Krob, coordinator of Iowa’s State Data Center, said Iowa recorded more births than deaths in the past year and saw more increases in people moving to the state.

Iowa’s increase is still under the national average of 0.62. The state is also seeing a decline in rural population with major increases happening in urban parts of the state.

However, Iowa’s population has grown for the past 31 years in a row, according to AP. The decreased happeend in 1987 during the farm crisis.

This is a stark contrast to current Illinois trends. This is the fifth year in a row Illinois numbers have dropped, according to Illinois News Network. This past year alone is the largest decrease in residents in more than a decade.

This marks the fifth consecutive year of total population loss for the state and the largest drop in population in more than a decade.

It’s not clear why the states’ populations are moving in these ways, but some factors point to cost-of-living, taxes, crime and general state outlook. Reports have shown Illinois is more than $200 billion in debt.

Related: Illinois’ debt per taxpayer worse than during Great Recession despite national growth

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