A recent article by the Chicago Sun Times echoes a theme from previous weeks, outmigration. The article follows the story of the Saunders family,

Pete Saunders, an African American urban planner with a master’s from the University of Illinois at Chicago, has mixed feelings about leaving the city.

“The prevailing attitude among black people in Chicago is that, to move up, you’ve got to move away,” he says. 

He and his wife, Gwen, left the South Side community of Auburn-Gresham and now live in Naperville, where they enjoy suburban amenities ranging from excellent schools and safe streets to no requirement for city parking stickers.

Gwen also seems to have mixed feelings about leaving. She says she can see them moving back once their son is no longer school age. From the tension they feel about the move, it is clear that this is a family that likes the idea of being in Chicago. But children change priorities for many families. Safe streets and good schools matter.

The Saunders are just one family in many. In fact, the city’s black population has fallen from a peak of 1.2 million in 1980 by 256,000 black people so far. The city’s black population is predicted to drop to 665,000 by 2030, according to the Sun Times. So, the question remains, why is everyone leaving? Looking at Census data, it is easy to conclude that many people choosing to leave are families with children like the Saunders. Black population losses in the city are almost entirely confined to two age ranges — 35 to 54 and 19 and under. 

Chicago has lost black households at most income levels below $100,000, with the largest numbers in the $50,000-to-$75,000 range. The Chicago Sun Times points to the Calumet Heights community, where many doctors once lived, as an example of the changes. This area was known to be solidly middle-class in 2010, with a median household income of $63,000. 

But new 2017 Census data shows median income have fallen to $50,000 — a more than 20% drop while income levels in the city rose. The number of people living there who have postgraduate degrees also fell by 38%. Where have they gone? Probably to the suburbs like the Saunders family.

The Sun Times also points out that Chicago’s history of segregation has also affected conditions for black Chicagoans, of course. But opportunities for quality education matter and black families who have the financial security to choose a school by moving neighborhoods are moving to better schools. But what about families who cannot move away to safer streets and good schools? Check out our website to learn about school options that help cities like Chicago revert to thriving communities of mixed-income living.