You love Chicago, but you’re tired of the crime and taxes. The schools are terrible, and there’s no job growth.
Why are so many people leaving the city? It’s not just one thing that’s driving them away.
There are several reasons why people choose to leave Chicago for other parts of Illinois or even outside state lines.
This article will explore some of those reasons why so many residents have chosen to leave Chicago in recent years, including skyrocketing crime rates, rising taxes, poor school systems, and lack of job opportunities.
The Downside of Living and Working in the Windy City
Chicago is a great city, but it’s not for everyone. Some people aren’t happy with the living conditions in the city. If you decided to look for a different place to live in, here are 5 reasons people are leaving Chicago and moving away from the area.
If you have been thinking about making a move or want some information on other cities that might be better suited for your needs, this article will help you make an informed decision.
People Leaving Local Communities for a Better Lifestyle
Chicago has lost nearly 1 million people in the last decade. With skyrocketing crime, rising taxes, and a stagnant economy, it’s no wonder people are looking for greener pastures.
Many Chicago residents choose to move out of the city limits to other parts of Illinois or even outside of state lines.
Chicago has seen a significant population decline in recent years, with residents declining by 220,000 between 2010 and 2017. This trend is alarming to many who are worried about the economic implications for Chicago’s future.
There are many reasons why people are leaving the city, including high taxes and crime rates and the weather being too cold in the winter months.
The five main reasons people leave Chicago are taxes, high crime rate, lack of jobs, crazy weather & traffic congestion, and housing prices.
Comparing Chicago to Other Major Cities
For decades, Chicago has not been recognized as an economical place to live like other major cities. However, rent has become extremely high in recent years, and tax rates are soaring, so finding a place to park at restaurants is impossible.
Most people wanting to live in the safest place in a Metro area make accommodations and adjust to the extreme weather, crime rate, and the cost of living compared to the suburbs.
In Chicago, so many people compete for places to live that they have become greatly overpriced.
Chicago was recently named the most expensive city in the United States. Anyone looking for a job in the city can expect to pay an average income of $10.50 an hour, after taxes, which is about $400-500 per week take-home pay.
In the northern suburbs of Chicago, it will be more expensive to live with take-home pay of $400 or less.
However, in rural communities in Illinois or even outside state lines, people can find homes for about half the price they would have to pay in Chicago and surrounding cities.
Comparing Chicago to Los Angeles
The Sun-Times recently reported that L.A.’s population has increased by more than 86,000 people in the past seven years, thanks to an influx of residents from Chicago and other cities.
In fact, according to census data from 2013, nearly 15 percent of all Angelenos were born in Illinois—the largest percentage from any state.
Not only are more people moving to L.A. from Chicago, but they’re also making a beeline for the Inland Empire—another region where you can find significantly more affordable real estate and cost of living than in California’s pricier coastal cities.
The Primary Reason Why People Are Leaving is Clear – Taxes!
For decades, the city has had some of the highest taxes in the country. For most people, living in a city where at least half their income goes to taxes isn’t easy or sustainable unless they somehow make more than $50,000 per year.
Chicago has some of the highest tax rates in the United States, and its public schools continue to be problematic.
The out-of-control rising tax rates are one of the main reasons people leave Chicago for other parts of Illinois or even outside state lines.
Chicago has been known to have the highest sales tax in all of Illinois at 10.25%. In addition, Chicago homeowners pay a property tax rate about a third higher than the national average.
At the same time, some suburban communities have some of the lowest property taxes in all the Midwest.
A High Crime Rate: Garnering the Most Complaints
The level of crime in Chicago is staggering, with over 500 murders every year, compared to New York City, which has half of the population and averages roughly 300 homicides annually.
As mentioned before, traffic congestion in Chicago is annoying, but it’s also considered one of the worst cities in the country for traffic.
Predictably, it’s also named the most expensive city in the world to park a vehicle.
Chicago Murder Rate
Crime is a major deterrent in the city when looking for a place to live, and people consider not only their safety but also the safety of children.
In Chicago, residents have been known to move out of Chicago because they do not feel safe in
Chicago or have had a loved one who was the victim of a violent crime.
Chicago’s murder rate is one of the highest in the U.S., and most murders occur indoors, not on the street as many people believe.
The low level of trust in others among Chicagoland residents has led to a crime problem that plagues the area every day.
Living a dangerous lifestyle is certainly a big reason why people are leaving the area. The problem with Windy City crime is that there seems to be a new deadly shooting every day.
It’s hard to imagine why anyone would want to live in constant fear of being shot to death while walking down the street, sitting at home drinking beer with your buddies, or playing cards with family members.
The Chicago Tribune recently published an essay about how crime is driving people to flee their city.
This information, it appears that there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that crime is one of the primary reasons why residents leave the region.
The Worse Weather: Climate Change Will Make Living in Chicago Worse in the Upcoming Years
The weather here is too cold! As would be expected, many people are leaving Chicago because of its cold winter months. In fact, from November to March, there can be as much as 100-inches of snow.
Therefore, other metropolitan areas with a milder winter, such as Atlanta or Houston, would attract Chicagoland residents in the following years.
Chicago has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and many people moving out of Chicago will look at nearby Illinois cities with lower tax rates, better job opportunities, and a much more affordable cost of living.
When looking at median household incomes, the city ranks fourth near the very bottom with $62,241. The average income in Atlanta is significantly higher than Chicago at $65,637.
Moving Out of the Big City: Better Jobs Available in Other Major Cities
People leaving Chicago say they are better job opportunities elsewhere! Men and women working in the corporate world often find that they can get a much better job with better benefits and more time off down the road.
As a result, Illinois is losing residents to other metro areas in Illinois and other midwestern cities like Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati, Nashville, or Charlotte.
There are not enough companies offering a fair deal or best pay to thrive in the city with its high cost of living.
As a result, many families decide to move because spending nearly more than they make to pay the mortgage or rent is not worth the trouble.
The Worse Traffic
Compared to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami, Chicago has one of the worst traffic problems of any major metro area.
For decades, Chicagoland has struggled moving cars and trucks across local streets and interstate, crisscrossing the town.
In response, many people leaving the area are moving out to the Illinois suburbs to lower their cost of living to enjoy the restaurants, peace, quiet, and lower crime rates.
In addition, the decline in population in the Chicago area is related to improving employment around the world, which certainly impacts people moving out of Chicagoland.
Living in the big city of Chicago has its downside with bad traffic and crazy weather involving frost quakes, frostbite, thermal whiplash, and unnecessary deaths due to shootouts, robberies, and high crime.
As a result, many citizens are moving out of the Chicagoland area to a new destination to ensure their family remains safe when living a better life.
Conclusion
People are tired of paying high taxes in Illinois, low wages, the awful winters, bad traffic congestion, and living in fear because there are shootings every day downtown. They want to move away from these factors that drive people out of
Chicago and other parts of the country that offer a better quality of life.
People are voting with their feet and moving out of the Windy City to improve their living costs and standard of living.
But, even with one of the best public transportation systems in the U.S, Chicago cannot keep existing residents eager for a better life.
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