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Opinion: A century of data shows who’s moving to Chicago, who’s leaving—and why

A map of Chicago streets with a dark grey overlay is on the left side of the page. On the right side of the page, where the water would be, is a lighter grey background with the IRRPP logo in red at the top, the title of the report in black in the center, and towards the bottom notice that MacArthur Foundation commissioned the report. A demographic trend line of white, Black, and Latinx populations sits atop the map and goes into the writing.

"Once home to a robust multiracial working-class population, Chicago's become a land for the privileged"

A recent IRRPP op-ed in Crain's Chicago Business discusses findings from our Shifting Population Trends in Chicago and the Chicago Metro Area report and notes that, while popular explanations for population loss include crime, taxes, consumer preferences, and even the weather, this misses how growing inequality is an important part of the story that is often missing in these explanations.

Click on this link to find the Crain's Chicago Business op-ed