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New U.S. Census Bureau estimates show Kane County added more than 9,000 residents between April 2020 and July 2025, a 1.8% increase that brought the county's population to 525,757.
But the growth was uneven across the Tri-Cities area. Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles each ended the five-year stretch within a few hundred residents of where they started, while smaller communities like Elburn and North Aurora posted notable percentage gains, according to data analyzed by the Chicago Tribune.
Here's what to know:
St. Charles led the Tri-Cities: St. Charles added 474 residents during the timeframe, a 1.4% increase. It was the largest gain among Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles in both raw numbers and percentage.
Batavia held flat: Batavia grew by 90 residents (+0.3%), essentially leaving the city where it was five years ago.
Geneva slipped: Geneva was the only city to lose residents, down 230 people (-1.1%) over the period.
Outer Kane County drove the growth: Elburn jumped 14.5% (+896 residents). North Aurora added 1,106 residents for a 6% gain to reach 19,406. Campton Hills was essentially flat, adding 26 residents (+0.2%).
Kane County's gains stand apart from Cook County, which lost 84,385 residents (-1.6%) since 2020.
Across the Chicago region, residential growth continues to shift toward the outer edges of the metro area, with Kendall County posting the state's largest percentage gain at 10.3% and Plainfield adding 5,154 residents to lead the area in raw numbers.
Read the full Chicago Tribune analysis.
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