These 8 Data Points Sum Up Chicago’s Decline

In a new essay, Chicago policy expert Austin Berg catalogues how municipal mismanagement has thrown the Windy City into a series of crises. (Pirate Wires)

Voting with their feet: Chicago's population peaked at 3.6 million in the 1950s but has since declined by 1 million, returning to 1920s levels.

Schools: One-third of Chicago's schools are less than half full, with Frederick Douglass Academy High School serving just 35 students out of a capacity of 900.

Spending: Chicago spends nearly twice the national average per pupil, and spends $68,000 per student annually at Frederick Douglass Academy, despite two-thirds of its students being chronically absent.

Crime: The city experiences more annual homicides than Los Angeles and New York combined, with violent crimes in 2023 reaching a decade high.

Criminal justice: Only 10.8% of violent crimes in Chicago resulted in arrests in 2023, compared to nearly 20% in 2013.

Finances: Chicago's property taxes are heavily burdened by pensions, with 80% of the levy funding them and pensions consuming 40% of the city budget.

Corruption: Since the 1970s, 40+ aldermen (an elected member of the city council) have been imprisoned for corruption.

Political instability: Mayor Brandon Johnson won the 2023 election by the smallest margin in city history, fewer than 27,000 votes, and now has an approval rating of just 14%, the lowest for any Chicago mayor.

Zoom out: As we’ve noted in previous editions, frustration with how Democrats are running America’s great cities may have contributed to a major swing toward Trump among urban voters.