Illinois migration, mapped
In 2022–23, 179,622 people moved into Illinois and 233,804 moved out, a net of −54,182. Drag the year slider to watch the trend, hover any state to see the corridor, or click through to explore it.
The map couldn’t load. The numbers below still tell the story.
† IRS methodology change in this year’s files (see methodology)
What the flows say
Population · 2025
12,719,141
▲ 0.1% year over year · growing
Peak population · 2013
12,895,778
1.4% below the 2013 peak
Why the population is changing
- Growth driver: the population grew in 2025 even after losing 40,017 people to domestic migration. International migration (+44,752) and births minus deaths (+10,903) more than made up for it.
- Peak population: the high-water mark was 12,895,778 in 2013. The 2025 estimate of 12,719,141 is 1.4% below that.
Net income flow · 2022–23
−$6.0B
▼ $9.2B arrived · $15.2B left
Avg household income · movers
$79k in · $104k out
leavers out-earn arrivals by 32%
Illinois wealth migration
- Money moved: households moving into Illinois in 2022–23 reported $9.2B in income (AGI). Households leaving took $15.2B with them, a net loss of $6.0B.
- Income gap: the average household moving in reported $79k of income, vs $104k for leavers. Leavers out-earn arrivals by 32%.
Drill into a metro
IRS data goes deeper than states. Pick a metro to see its own corridors.
About the data
Migration figures come from the official IRS state-to-state files (exemptions ≈ people). Population figures are Census Bureau estimates, and the peak checks every census back to 1910. Income figures are the total income (AGI) movers reported in the same IRS files. Dollars are not adjusted for inflation, and household averages divide by the number of returns. Years marked † had a change in how the IRS built the files. Full details, caveats, and a suggested citation on the methodology page.
Download this data (CSV), free to use with attribution.
Every year, thousands of people move to Illinois
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