It's expensive, but let's be serious it's nothing compared to the coast – with a good quality of life (as the reasons you stated).
I had the impression Chicago was actually losing people, but that info was old, from the previous decade where it lost 7%.
Chicago is a weird place for various political and economic reasons (I’m from Minneapolis, so just a neighbor), and was not growing pre-pandemic. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that trend reverse given its relative LCOL - especially with the Denver/Austins of the world no longer being very affordable.