Crime and taxes fuel population flight in Cook County and Illinois

Combination of factors involving bad state and county government leaders, rising crime and increasing taxes are the main drivers fueling flight of law abiding citizens from Cook County and Illinois

By Ray Hanania

PAID/census population drop/Saturday May 18 2024

Nearly 80 percent of Illinois counties showed significant population drops during the past year according to the U.S. Census, with Cook County showing the largest population flight.

But because the U.S. Census counts migrants and undocumented residents, the loss of citizens is softened..

Why the population drop? Crime. Economy. Lack of confidence in our government. It all results in “crime fright flight.”

Violent crime in Illinois exceeds the national rate "by a wide margin," according to an analysis of FBI crime data. Illinois crime ranks among the top 10 in the nation.

Crime in Illinois is "concentrated," however, meaning that it is intense in certain areas, like Cook County where race politics drives policies and has given Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx the basis to ease punishments on criminals, which in turn increase crime on law abiding citizens.

The fight to ease punishment of criminals, raise the bar on what constitutes a felony, and allow criminals to remain free as their court cases slowly wind through an ineffective court system fuels the “crime fright flight.”

The problem isn’t just on Foxx’s shoulders, however. It started with misguided policies from the governor's office on down. Combined with the pressures of a deteriorating economy and rising taxes, we know why people are fleeing Illinois, and especially Cook County.

A gaggle of misguided, self-serving politicians have created an environment in which living in Illinois is not only hazardous to your wallet, but also hazardous to your life.

Here are the facts: