Champaign County Population Growing

The U.S. Census Bureau recently announced that Champaign County is growing.

New estimates add more than thirty-five hundred people to the county in the 3 years since the 2010 census, for a total of 204,897 people in July 2013.

Champaign County is one of three that saw population growth from 2010 to 2013. Both McLean and Moultrie counties saw similar increases.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, all other Central Illinois counties have decreased in population.

University of Illinois professor in Urban and Regional Planning, Andrew Greenlee said the Champaign County increase is a result of many different factors.

“People may simply be seeing places like Champaign County, Multrie, and McLean as more attractive places to live. Some of it also reflects the strong economies in those places,” said Greenlee.

Greenlee said more employment opportunities also play a large role in population growth.

He said it’s hard to tell if this increase will continue, but as of now it’s a sign that the economy here is growing.

Overall, the state of Illinois has grown in population by a little more than 50,000 people over the past 3 years.