Population explosion seen in Will County

Chicago Sun Times ^ | 2-5-03 | ART GOLAB

[JustPiper]

By 2030, Will County will surpass DuPage and become the most populous collar county, according to new projections.

And the population of the Will County town of New Lenox will explode by more than 500 percent, to more than 100,000, according to the figures from the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission.

But there's a big catch -- the forecast assumes that a third airport in Peotone will be built by 2030, which would help draw many of the 600,000 new residents and 274,000 new jobs projected for the county. "An airport is far from certain," said Howard Lerner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, a critic of the forecast. "There's a certain amount of circular reasoning in NIPC numbers that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy for things like the Peotone airport development."

Lerner says that's especially true because the NIPC projections are used as a basis for regional transportation planning.

Marc Thomas, information manager for the commission, acknowledged that the forecast assumes a third airport in operation in Peotone by 2030 with at least one runway, but added that the numbers aren't far off even without the airport.

"Regardless of whether a third airport ends up in Will County, the county still will show very significant growth over time and become the second-largest county in population in northeastern Illinois and in the state."

The commission's numbers are based on planned transportation improvements, economic projections, past population growth patterns and available land for development. They also take into account the long-range development plans by hundreds of communities.

A major factor in Will County's growth is the fact that it has more available land.

"It's the last of the collar counties to develop," said John Greuling, president and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development. "It's our time in the sun, we have the most land available, we have some of the best highway infrastructure of the region, and the housing that's being built in Will County is still very affordable."

Greuling also credits his county's lower taxes, and said more than half his inquiries come from businesses looking to flee Cook County and its higher tax structure.

Overall population throughout the six-county area is projected to increase 1.9 million by 2030, with jobs increasing by 1.2 million. All the counties will see at least some growth in both categories.

The commission also projects the Hispanic population will grow to one-third of the population in the six-county area -- while the total of non-Hispanic whites and Asians will dip to below 50 percent for the first time. "There will be no majority population in northeastern Illinois by 2030," Thomas said.

The forecast also predicts declines in population in 37 municipalities -- most of them in Cook County, topped by Cicero, which is projected to lose 8,759 residents.

By the way, New Lenox's mayor is Mike Smith, who also happens to chair the commission. Just a coincidence, Thomas says. "New Lenox happens to be in the hottest part of Will County."

[JustPiper]

PROJECTED GROWTH IN CHICAGO AREA COUNTIES

The figures on the map represent a percentage increase in each county's population between 2000 and 2030. It shows a big boost for Will County, assuming an airport is built in Peotone.

1st figure
County 2000

2nd figure
pop. 2030

Last figure
pop. Change

Cook
5,376,741
5,938,248
561,507

DuPage
904,161
1,002,325
98,164

Kane
404,119
692,346
288,227

Lake
644,356
844,315
199,959

McHenry
260,077
449,823
189,746

Will
502,266
1,107,778
605,512

PROJECTED POPULATION CHANGES BY TOWN

Changes between 2000 and 2030

Chicago 364,881

New Lenox 83,954

Elgin 67,929

Sugar Grove 58,833

Frankfort 56,827

Plainfield (Will only) 52,706

Aurora (excl. Kendall County) 48,017

Monee 44,880

Naperville 39,738

Huntley 38,705

Cicero -8,759

Bensenville -1,655

Maywood -1,298

Dolton -1,181

Park Ridge -1,155

Elmwood Park -1,145

Summit -1,096

Evergreen Park -1,079

Burbank -1,060

Melrose Park -1,027

Source: Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission

[JustPiper]

This is just my town but think of the growth in yours and how many will be illegals and not reported

[SerpentDove]

Hi JP,

Maybe you missed my other requests, so I will repeat it for the third time. Please remove me from your ping list.

I appreciate your research, but your pings are too voluminous for me to read.

I will FReepmail you with this same message so you can't miss it.

Thanks.

SD

[breakem]

By 2030, Will County will surpass DuPage and become the most populous collar county...............

What is a collar county?

[SavageRepublican]

Plainfield ping.

Look out for the tornado!!!

[Missouri]

"There will be no majority population in northeastern Illinois by 2030," Thomas said.

Sounds like California of today. What a contrast to downstate.

[lainde]

My sympathies from LA...

[texastoo]

This is just my town but think of the growth in yours and how many will be illegals and not reported.

Hopefully, you are not asking me that question. I am just 9 miles from the border. You cannot imagine what the traffic is here compared to last year. Unreal!

[JustPiper]

Would you please ping your Chicago list?

[JustPiper]

You posted here and sent three mails all in one day, I got them all at once and you are removed ok?

[JustPiper]

In Cook County tis a dog collar -g-

[Consort]

[breakem]

thanx

[Marie Antoinette]

All I know is this - I *hate* driving out there now when I go to visit! I grew up in Frankfort (Square), lived there from '73-'92, and it has sooo built up in the little time since. And my parent's property taxes continue to spiral upward!

I now live in rural Missouri, and I really don't miss Illinois at all. Well, I do miss the city at night, Chicago is still beautiful to me :-)