The census data just released brought fantastic news for us hale and hearty Midwesterners: We’re growing.

It’s true. Our mighty region, overlooked — and often looked down upon, particularly by our coastal compatriots — was the one region in the U.S. where all states saw population growth from July 2024 to July 2025.

The region’s population grew by 244,000 in that period, marking four consecutive years of growth, and, notably, the Midwest posted positive net migration from other states for the first time this decade.

A handful of states, including Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska, have seen population growth each of the past five years. Among the biggest turnarounds, however, were turned in by Big Ten rivals Ohio and Michigan, which had previously been in a population slump marked by negative net domestic migration and worrisome natural population declines — more deaths than births. That’s turned around, and we’re pleased for the Buckeyes and Wolverines as they bask in this good news.

But what about us?

Illinois has grown, too, but far more modestly. The state added about 16,000 residents in the year ended July 1, 2025, down sharply from 70,000 the year before, and we still have fewer residents than we did in 2020. That’s progress. Of a sort. But nothing to brag about.

Our broad take: It’s heartening the Midwest is more attractive than it used to be. That’s really good news for population-challenged Chicago and Illinois. It will help immensely in reversing those trends here if the wind is at the back of the region of which Chicago is the unofficial capital.

But that doesn’t mean Illinois will take advantage of it. Our political leaders have a chance now to seize this regional momentum and make Illinois and Chicago the destinations they should be.

We’ve written before on some of the many reasons Illinois is stuck in the mud when it comes to the number of people living and working here.

One of the primary recent reasons is beyond the state’s control, and that relates to one of the more important disclosures from the Census Bureau: U.S. population growth has slowed markedly, and while it remains true that the low birth rate is a major driver, the real shift in this latest report is that the country is seeing a “historic decline in net international migration,” as the bureau puts it.

Illinois’ international migration fell by about 60% from 2024 to 2025, a sudden slowdown that exposes an underlying weakness in the state’s ability to grow.

Domestic migration remains a significant drag on growth here, too, with more residents leaving than people coming here from other states. This is the component most responsive to state and local policy.

In our region, Missouri and Indiana were the clear winners in terms of generating positive net domestic migration last year, with Wisconsin right on their heels. Illinois would do well to look at what its neighboring states are doing to make themselves more attractive.

In some respects, our problems aren’t complicated. Taxes, especially property taxes, remain a major complaint among Illinois residents, a concern that polling has consistently shown to be a leading reason people consider leaving the state.

Fiscal uncertainty, both at the state level and in Chicago, is an impediment as well. Even when the tax burden is onerous, newcomers often will choose to come if they feel confident those levies won’t rise substantially in the near future. Chicago and Illinois, unfortunately, have been unable to offer such assurances.

Illinois also is widely perceived as a costly place to do business from a regulatory and tax standpoint. Our long history of high-profile corruption scandals doesn’t help matters, although we hope the recent convictions of political powerhouses such as former House Speaker Michael Madigan and former Chicago Ald. Edward Burke will begin to lift that cloud.

After years of stagnation, Ohio and Michigan have responded by signaling they want growth, moving faster on permitting, leaning into housing affordability and marketing themselves as predictable places to spend and build.

Despite facing many of the same challenges, Illinois has not responded, playing defense as governments face budget-busting pension debts and long-term obligations.

What appear to be the beginnings of a Midwestern resurgence gives Illinois a chance to reset and get in the game along with our neighboring states. There’s no reason, given Chicago’s clear preeminence among Midwestern cities and an abundance of infrastructure and natural resources, that Illinois shouldn’t be leading the charge.

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