Which metro areas in Illinois are people moving to?
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (4.9 per 1,000 residents), Rockford, IL (0.5 per 1,000 residents) and Paducah, KY-IL (0.3 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Illinois metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 9 ranked Illinois metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 4.9 | +484 | 99,215 |
| 2 | Rockford, IL | 0.5 | +181 | 337,242 |
| 3 | Paducah, KY-IL | 0.3 | +35 | 102,259 |
| 4 | St. Louis, MO-IL | −0.5 | −1,382 | 2,814,421 |
| 5 | Springfield, IL | −0.6 | −120 | 206,033 |
| 6 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | −1.2 | −469 | 380,452 |
| 7 | Peoria, IL | −1.4 | −506 | 363,505 |
| 8 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | −3.6 | −33,708 | 9,434,123 |
| 9 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | −8.8 | −2,118 | 239,979 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Illinois gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL: 4.9 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Rockford, IL (0.5 per 1,000 residents) and Paducah, KY-IL (0.3 per 1,000 residents), of 9 Illinois metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.