Kendall County has kept up its growth at a record pace over the last five years, obtaining the highest population gains of any Illinois county according to a recent study by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

Defying a dramatic drop in statewide population, the study found that Kendall County grew 6.65 percent between 2015 and 2019, the highest of any county. DuPage, Kane and Will County also grew but at lower rates, among the nine counties in Illinois that saw any increase in their population.

“This does not come as a surprise to me,” said Oswego Village President Troy Parlier. “I think we have a unique community in Oswego, but we have a unique county in Kendall as well... It’s just a place where people come when they look to settle down. They feel comfortable.”

So how did Kendall County pull it off? Some officials pointed to the quality of local schools and the area’s supply of undeveloped land and subdivisions. In its study, CMAP cited northeastern Illinois’ ever-growing Latino population, historically “a strong driver of regional population growth.”

Though having growth is one thing. Sustaining and handling it is another.

“As the region looks to recover from the pandemic, we need to take this time to work together to address the ways we attract and retain businesses, as well as the ways our residents move through our region,” said CMAP Executive Director Erin Aleman.

The need to bring more transportation to Kendall County is a top priority for leaders in the new year. Though the General Assembly has appropriated $100 million to extend Metra commuter rail service into the county, the pandemic’s impact on public transportation looms large. As for managing the growth, Parlier pointed to ongoing infrastructure projects like the Wolf’s Crossing Road widening and reconstruction and securing the area’s long-term water supply.

“We are really looking forward to future years,” Parlier said. “I think we’re just positioned beautifully right now with the development coming in. We’re just getting started.”

For Charlene Coulombe-Fiore, executive director of Montgomery’s Economic Development Corporation, mismanaged growth poses a threat of putting a strain on public services like Oswego schools and fire districts.

“The only (counties) that will be doing much better, or will be able to sustain that growth, are going to be the ones that also have industrial growth and manufacturing growth,” Coulombe-Fiore said. “We still have a lot of land to develop so we’re pretty fortunate that way - but taxes could start to get too high and people will start to then migrate to other states.”

Despite the happy news for Kendall and other suburban counties, the rate of population decline in Illinois is dire. The state’s losses are second only to West Virginia, and the Chicago metropolitan area’s growth was near the bottom of the fifty largest metros in the country.

“Even before the pandemic began, Illinois was experiencing prolonged population decline,” said CMAP’s Aleman. “The pandemic could influence this trend in different ways, but it’s hard to tell. Our leaders throughout the region, though, have the power to help shape our recovery from the pandemic and position the region for greater economic opportunities. CMAP already is working with our partners throughout our region on reshaping mobility and the economy post-COVID.”