https://www.macrotrends.net/cities/22956/chicago/population#:~:text=The%20metro%20area%20population%20of,a%200.03%25%20increase%20from%202019.The DFW metro seems to be adding about 100,000 people a year. That would come out to a million every census. If there's a nationwide recession, the growth might actually increase because Texas has been recession-resistant since getting off the oil tit in the 1990s.
The 2021 population estimates show DFW gained over 122,000 people over its 2020 population. Houston gained nearly 85,000. Chicagoland lost over 100,000. I highly doubt Chicagoland will lose over 100,000 each year. In fact, I believe many larger metros that lost population in the estimates will regain their footing as the fallout from COVID continues to wane. However, it's possible that population losses could continue once rural broadband Internet becomes more widespread, especially for people who work from home and don't find it necessary to live in or near bigger cities in order to work.
Wanna bet? Most areas in Chicagoland have been losing population recently. The only growth areas are Will, Kendall, Kane, and Grundy (yes, Grundy) Counties. Cook has been hardest hit, and Chicago seems to love shooting itself in the foot.
Where are you guys getting your stats from? I'm seeing conflicting information on if Chicago is growing or shrinking.