Champaign is among the fastest-growing cities in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, Champaign saw a 1.5 percent population bump, similar to three of the country's 15 largest cities (Dallas, Columbus and Jacksonville). Champaign grew from 84,805 to 86,906 during that time, according to new estimates.

That makes it the 380th-largest city nationwide and No. 10 in Illinois, just behind Elgin.

Read more at the Champaign News-Gazette.

Illinois leads all other states in green building design, construction and transformation for the third year in a row, according to new rankings announced.

The U.S. Green Building Council each year reveals the top 10 states for LEED-certified spaces. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

As state economies reap some of the benefits of lower energy costs, the Illinois economy grew more than its neighboring states and remains the top performer in the region, according to new 2014 data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

State tax revenues and personal income continued to grow in April, according to the latest data available in an ongoing University of Illinois study.

The Illinois economy grew at a rate higher than it has since before the recession last month, according to an ongoing study by the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois.
 
The institute’s Flash Index score measures the state’s economic growth or decline. In March, Illinois reached a score of 107, which it has only had three times since the 2007-2009 recession.