Results from the 2020 census were released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday, which Illinois and other states will use to redraw congressional district maps.

Of all the counties in the metro east, Monroe County was the only one to see a population increase since 2010. Monroe County had a population of 32,957 in 2010 and a reported population of 34,962 in 2020, according to the census. That is a population increase of 6.1 percent.

The City of Waterloo had 11,013 residents with the City of Columbia coming in at 10,999 residents. 

The tentative census numbers show that the Village of Valmeyer lost several dozen residents. The recently released numbers show the village’s population at 1,233. The 2010, the population of Valmeyer came in at 1,263. 

In comparison, Randolph County decreased in population by 9.9 percent, St. Clair County decreased by 4.7 percent and Madison County decreased by 1.3 percent.

The release of 2020 census data was delayed by several months, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Illinois General Assembly, however, redrew state legislative and appellate court district lines anyway, using population estimates based on survey data from the Census Bureau.

Nearly every county in Illinois lost population over the past decade, resulting in the state losing one congressional seat. 

There will be only 17 legislative districts instead of 18 when the 2022 elections are held.