Kanecountyconnects.com
Kane County is among several Chicago-area counties showing renewed population growth, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates highlighted in the Daily Herald. From 2023 to 2024, Kane County’s population rose by 0.73%, increasing by 3,756 residents to a total of 520,997. The rebound marks a shift after years of reported declines.
Leading the charge in Kane County is the Village of Hampshire, which posted the largest population growth of any Illinois municipality over 1,000 residents—a 9.2% year-over-year increase. Village officials told the Daily Herald the surge can be attributed to strategic zoning and annexation decisions made in advance of renewed housing demand adding that building permits jumped from 49 in 2021 to 167 in 2024, and the village is preparing for a special census this fall to update its official numbers and unlock additional state revenue.
Meanwhile, South Elgin also experienced a substantial population increase. While not as dramatic as Hampshire’s, the growth is still significant and reflects an ongoing trend of expansion in Kane County’s communities. Village officials told the Daily Herald that some of the gains may be due to previous undercounting, but they also credited continued residential development for the recent uptick.
The City of Aurora remains Kane County’s largest municipality and the second-largest city in Illinois after Chicago. Naperville posted a 1.3% increase between 2023 and 2024. The current population of the city is estimated at 153,124, which would make it the third-largest municipality in Illinois—behind Chicago and Aurora—surpassing Joliet.
Across the region, the Daily Herald reports that the six-county suburban area—Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will—added nearly 64,000 residents from 2023 to 2024, a 0.8% overall increase.
Source: Daily Herald / U.S. Census figures
