How Has Chicago's Population Changed over Time?

Chicago's population has dropped to what it was in the 1920s. Though Cook County, where Chicago is located, remains the most populous county in Illinois, Chicagoans seem to be leaving the city itself and moving into the surrounding suburbs. Despite it drop in population, Chicago remains the third-largest city in the U.S., behind New York and Los Angeles.

More facts about Chicago's population:

• Chicago remains largely dominated by minorities, with African-Americans and Hispanics making up more than half of the population. Demographically, more than half of the people who said African-Americans are those moving out of the city in the largest numbers.


• Chicago has been known as a city for immigrants since the 1920s, and it still lives up to the reputation — more than one-fifth of Chicago residents were born in another country.


• In the second half of the 1800s, Chicago's population grew faster than almost any other city in the world, going from about 4,000 people in 1840 to more than a million in 1890.