By Ted Schnell • BocaJump
The housing boom earlier in the past decade, as well as a dramatic drop in the number of Chicago residents, may help explain why Elgin and some of its neighboring communities saw significant growth over the past 10 years, as witnessed by the results of the 2010 census.
Elgin's population grew 14.5 percent between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, and while its growth was significant, it pales in comparison with some nearby communities.
Only three of the neighboring communities surveyed – East Dundee, Hanover Park and Sleepy Hollow – saw their populations from since 2000. Hardest hit was Sleepy Hollow, with 3,304 residents. Its population dropped 7 percent from 3,553 in 2000. East Dundee, with 2,860 residents, dropped 3.2 percent from 2,955 in 2000, while Hanover Park, with 37,973, dropped .8 percent from 38,278 in 2000.
The most phenomenal growth locally occurred west of Elgin, fueled by annexations and the housing boom. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Pingree Grove, whose population numbered just 124 residents in 2000. But a massive annexation and related housing developments fueled a skyrocketing population. The village saw an amazing 3,554.8 percent increase to 4,532 residents in 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.
Gilberts and Huntley also saw tremendous surges in population, recording triple-digit percentage growth over the 10-year period. Gilberts, with 6,879 residents, surged 437.8 percent from 1,279; and Huntley, with 24,291 residents, rose 323.9 percent from 5,730 in 2000.
Other area communities that saw growth included:
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Algonquin, with 30,046, surged 29.1 percent from 23,276;
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Bartlett, with 41,208, rose 12.3 percent from 36,706;
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Burlington, with 618, rose 36.7 percent from 452;
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Carpentersville, at 37,691, jumped 23.2 percent from 30,586;
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Hampshire, with 5,563, surged 91.8 percent from 2,900;
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South Elgin, with 21,985, rose 36.6 percent from 16,100;
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Streamwood. with 39,858, rose 9.5 percent from 36,407;
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West Dundee, with 7,331, jumped 35 percent from 5,428.
With 108,188 residents, up up 14.5 percent from 94,487 in 2000, Elgin remains the state's eighth-largest city in 2010 as it was a decade ago. According to the 2010 tally, the leaders are:
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Chicago, with 2,695,598, a 6.9 percent drop from the 2,896,016 counted in 2000.
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Aurora, with 197,899, a 38.4 percent increase from the 142,990 counted in 2000;
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Rockford, with 152,871, up 1.8 percent from 150,115 in 2000;
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Joliet, with 147,433, up 38.8 percent from 106,221 in 2000;
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Naperville, with 141,853, up 10.5 percent from 128,358in 2000;
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Springfield, with 116,250, up 4.3 percent from 111,454 in 2000;
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Peoria, with 115,007, up 1.8 percent from 112,936 in 2000.
