Joliet experienced a 36.5 percent population spike over the past 10 years as new subdivisions mushroomed on the city’s west side during the housing boom, but the city suffered a slight population drop over the last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data release Tuesday.
Jim Haller, director of community and economic development for Joliet, said he questions whether the American Community Survey data results paint an accurate picture of what’s going on Joliet. He said he’s waiting for the complete results from the 2010 Census, results of which are expected to start being released next year.
“My expectation is that we are not going to see much of a decline,” Haller said. “Yes, we have had foreclosures, but people are buying up those foreclosures and banks are willing to take a loss on them. For as many people who have left for economic reasons, there have been others who have showed up.”
In 2000, the city’s population was 106,221, rose to 151,000 in 2008 and then dipped slightly to 145,000 last year, according to Census data.
Despite a 24 percent spike in the number of people below the poverty level statewide over the past 10 years, Joliet’s numbers remained steady over the years between 10 and 13 percent. In 2009, the number of people in poverty was 11 percent.
However, Joliet’s median household income did dip slightly from $61,061 in 2008 to $53,687 in 2009, likely due to an increase in unemployment.
Outside the unemployment office in Joliet, people said they are not surprised by the numbers.
Joy Perry, 39, of Joliet said the Census numbers represent people who are struggling.
“It’s really hard,” said Perry as she left the unemployment office in Joliet after complaining that her benefits weren’t paid. “We live week to week, check to check. When I don’t get my unemployment check, it really affects us.”
Perry earns $316 a week in unemployment benefits, a far cry from when she earned $16.50 an hour working as a medical insurance claims analyst – a job she held for almost three years. Now, the family, which includes her husband and two daughters, have to take public transportation because their car was repossessed.
Since losing her job in December, Perry and her family too often have to cut back on necessities. Sometimes that means the rent is late or the utility bill goes unpaid, but often that means less food.
“We eat a lot of noodles,” said the Perry, 39, of Joliet who was laid off just months after her husband lost his. “A lot of meals without meat…We have to really budget when we go to the grocery store.”
Haller said Joliet’s economy is weathering the downturn and showing signs of improvement. He said construction-related jobs were definitely hit after their housing boom disappeared, but an expanding intermodal and warehouse industry has helped create new jobs.
Companies such as Wal-Mart and Bissell both have warehouses in Joliet’s CenterPoint facility and there are plans for more warehouses over the next 10 years, which could bring upwards of 7,000 jobs to Joliet.
“There are things out there that have kept up going,” Haller said. “It’s a fraction of what it used to be, but it’s not as bad as other locations where things have come to a screeching halt.”
The city’s Hispanic population increased from 18 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in 2009. The number of foreign born residents increased slightly from 10.8 percent to 13 percent nine years later in 2009.
The city’s black population also remained somewhat steady over the past nine years, starting at 18.2 percent in 2000 and fluctuating at one point to 14 percent and then back to 16 percent in 2009.
