The City of Chicago’s population grew to more than 2.73 million people in 2025, an increase of more than 5,000 since the previous year, according to the latest estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.
By the numbers:
The new estimated population keeps Chicago as the third-most populous city in the country, behind New York City (8.58 million) and Los Angeles (3.86 million), and just ahead of Houston (2.39 million).
The latest numbers also appear to show a near bounce-back in the city’s population since it declined in the years during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city’s population was estimated to be around 2.74 million on April 1, 2020, according to the Census Bureau, but by 2022, the population had fallen to around 2.68 million, a decline of more than 67,700 residents.
In the three years afterwards, the city appears to have added nearly 51,000 people.
The latest rebound is in contrast to New York and Los Angeles, which saw slight decreases in their populations in the latest estimates, 12,196 and 3,621 people, respectively.
Houston, meanwhile, also added to its population by 11,515.
Chicago’s population by year
Census Bureau’s estimates of Chicago’s population by year since 2020:
- 2020: 2,741,640
- 2021: 2,705,934
- 2022: 2,680,609
- 2023: 2,698,758
- 2024: 2,726,332
- 2025: 2,731,585
Most populous cities in the U.S.
Chicago also remains the third-largest city by population in the country, a ranking it has maintained for decades, although the city of Houston, Texas, has been growing in recent years and was at one time projected to overtake Chicago.
- New York City: 8,584,629
- Los Angeles: 3,869,089
- Chicago: 2,731,585
- Houston: 2,397,315
- Phoenix: 1,665,481
- Philadelphia: 1,574,281
- San Antonio: 1,548,422
- San Diego: 1,406,106
- Dallas: 1,329,491
- Fort Worth: 1,028,117
Largest cities in Illinois
The Census Bureau’s estimates included cities with populations of at least 20,000.
That included the 10 most populous cities in the state of Illinois, six of which were in the Chicago area:
- Chicago: 2,731,585
- Aurora: 181,505
- Naperville: 153,114
- Joliet: 152,241
- Rockford: 147,384
- Elgin: 115,476
- Springfield: 112,989
- Peoria: 110,920
- Champaign: 91,195
- Waukegan: 87,940
