Chicago may soon lose its status as the third-largest city in the United States, according to Census Bureau data.
The Windy City lost about 0.3% of its population from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, according to figures released Thursday.
According to the data, the city's population went from 2,672,660 to 2,664,452.
The first and second largest cities in the United States by population, New York and Los Angeles, also experienced population declines.
During the same period, Houston, which had been just behind Chicago in population numbers in recent years, continued to grow in size. Texas' population increased by 0.5% to 2,314,157, according to the data.
In 2015, experts predicted that Houston could overtake Chicago as the third largest city by 2025. Estimates at the time were that by 2025, Houston's population would be between 2.54 million and 2.7 million, while Chicago's population would be around 2.5 million.
Now, a new analysis from the Illinois Policy Institute predicts that Chicago will be overtaken by Houston by 2035 “if demographic trends hold.”
Chicago's population is declining faster than other large cities, according to Census Bureau data. New York has lost nearly 550,000 residents since 2019, compared with 77,000 fewer residents last year.
Los Angeles had just 1,800 deaths last year, reversing some pandemic-era trends in the category.
For comparison, Chicago is estimated to have lost 8,200 residents over the last year.
The agency warned that the data collected in 2023 does not include the influx of asylum seekers who arrived in the city after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's administration took buses north to Chicago. . Chicago has admitted more than 41,000 immigrants since June 2023, according to data provided by city officials.
Illinois' overall population also declined last year, but the state has previously challenged census data.
The 2020 Census found that Illinois lost just over 18,000 residents, or about 0.1% of its population, over 10 years. But Illinois officials said the state only gained residents between 2010 and 2020.
More than 700 “group settlements” were missing or undercounted as part of the 2020 census, officials said. More than 40,000 residents of care homes and elderly care facilities have been found missing, including around 6,000 residents of dormitories and other residential facilities.
Although the recounted residents will not be added to that official census total of 12,812,508, officials said the recount will affect how annual projections are calculated and, as a result, will result in additional federal funding for the state. states that this will occur.
Illinois also lost a House seat while states such as Texas and Florida experienced significant population growth.