Census Bureau estimates show Chicago population declining

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U.S. Census Bureau estimates say the majority of municipalities in the Chicago region, including the city itself, lost population last year.

The yearly estimates released this week show that Chicago remains the nation's third-largest city with just over 2.7 million residents, down an estimated 7,073 from 2017 to 2018.

Christine Percheski, an associate professor of sociology at Northwestern University, tells the Chicago Tribune that while it is significant to note that Chicago is losing people, "this does not necessarily reflect the health or the functioning of the city."

The new estimates show that most municipalities in northeastern Illinois aren't adding residents. The newspaper says more than three-fourths lost population in the last year. Far northwest suburban municipalities such as Huntley and the village of Pingree Grove are among those growing.