The Real Problem with Chicago’s Shrinking Population Recent Census numbers aren’t as bad as they sound—except for one major factor. The loss of African-American residents in the neighborhood is mirrored in other troubled communities on the city’s West and South Sides. The Chicago Defender and Chicago Bee were Bronzeville-based daily newspapers that had widespread influence and distribution, helping to establish the neighborhood as a … For the second consecutive year, the city of Chicago experienced higher levels of population loss than any other city in the nation, according to 2016 data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Census figures released Thursday show Cook County is losing more people than maybe ever before. CHICAGO — Cook County leads the nation in population loss and residential high-rise construction. A view of the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. The latest estimate for the population of Chicago, Illinois comes from the US Census Bureau. They confirmed that, in July 2011, there were 2,707,120 people living in the city of Chicago.The population has been estimated to be approximately 2.71 million, with slow growth and declines attributed to violence, tax increases and issues with schools. “One way to explain the population loss is largely due, in part, to African-Americans leaving. All told, over that same 14-year stretch, Chicago’s black population decreased by an estimated 200,000 residents, or nearly 19 percent. Hyde Park is a neighborhood and community area on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan seven miles (11 km) south of the Chicago Loop.. Hyde Park's official boundaries are 51st Street/Hyde Park Boulevard on the north, the Midway Plaisance (between 59th and 60th streets) on the south, Washington Park on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. As for what’s causing the population loss, Paral says it’s a “complex stew” of factors that includes race, income and immigration. Despite the drop, the Chicago area maintains its spot as the third most populous metropolitan area. The report argues that residential racial segregation is not only getting worse in Chicago, “but the factors associated with population growth for one group relate to population decline for the other.” The breakdown of Black net population loss by neighborhood since 1990 is as follows: