Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits

Chicago, IL had the highest housing units authorized by building permits of 223 cities in 2014, at 5,750. Zion, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 16 and the figure for Illinois was 20,578. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest5,750Chicago, IL

Lowest0Zion, IL

Median16223 cities

Illinois20,578History

Top 40 cities, 2014

count. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2014 count	Change on 2013
1	Chicago, IL Estimated	5,750	+90.1%
2	Champaign, IL Estimated	914	+153.2%
3	Washington, IL Estimated	477	+337.6%
4	Naperville, IL Estimated	460	-22.7%
5	Elgin, IL Estimated	393	+14.6%
6	Glenview, IL Estimated	359	-35.7%
7	Deerfield, IL Estimated	287	+720%
8	Oak Park, IL Estimated	280	+27,900%
9	Pingree Grove, IL Estimated	277	+85.9%
10	Urbana, IL Estimated	241	+205.1%
11	Springfield, IL Estimated	226	+78%
12	Vernon Hills, IL Estimated	220	+80.3%
13	East St. Louis, IL Estimated	207	+22.5%
14	Huntley, IL Estimated	193	+9.7%
15	Mokena, IL Estimated	187	+73.1%
16	Oswego, IL Estimated	182	-19.5%
17	Plainfield, IL Estimated	163	+19.9%
18	New Lenox, IL Estimated	162	-6.9%
19	Edwardsville, IL Estimated	155	+30.3%
20	Elmhurst, IL Estimated	145	+22.9%
21	Morris, IL Estimated	144	+21%
22	Carbondale, IL Estimated	130	+217.1%
23	Streamwood, IL Estimated	128	+814.3%
24	O'Fallon, IL Estimated	126	+50%
25	Bolingbrook, IL Estimated	124	+14.8%
26	Joliet, IL Estimated	122	+64.9%
27	Bloomington, IL Estimated	108	-70.7%
27	Moline, IL Estimated	108	+730.8%
29	Frankfort, IL Estimated	103	+7.3%
30	Aurora, IL Estimated	101	-34.4%
31	Arlington Heights, IL Estimated	100	+81.8%
32	Wheeling, IL Estimated	96	+540%
33	Lisle, IL Estimated	93	+69.1%
34	Shorewood, IL Estimated	92	0%
35	Hinsdale, IL Estimated	90	+13.9%
36	Bellwood, IL Estimated	89	+1,680%
36	Palatine, IL Estimated	89	+74.5%
38	Normal, IL Estimated	87	-61.5%
39	Quincy, IL Estimated	83	+93%
40	Algonquin, IL Estimated	81	+1,925%
40	Chatham, IL Estimated	81	+5.2%
40	Orland Park, IL Estimated	81	+19.1%
43	Lemont, IL Estimated	78	+25.8%
44	Downers Grove, IL Estimated	76	+2.7%
45	Yorkville, IL Estimated	74	-8.6%
46	Mundelein, IL Estimated	73	-13.1%
47	Fairview Heights, IL Estimated	68	-6.8%
47	Rock Island, IL Estimated	68	-8.1%
49	Lake in the Hills, IL Estimated	62	+244.4%
49	Shiloh, IL Estimated	62	+3.3%
51	Wheaton, IL Estimated	61	+24.5%
52	Mahomet, IL Estimated	56	-23.3%
53	Lockport, IL Estimated	55	+89.7%
54	Western Springs, IL Estimated	54	+17.4%
55	Glen Ellyn, IL Estimated	52	+79.3%
56	Peoria, IL Estimated	51	-66.7%
57	East Peoria, IL Estimated	47	0%
58	Northbrook, IL Estimated	46	+17.9%
58	Schaumburg, IL Estimated	46	+43.8%
58	Winfield, IL Estimated	46	+24.3%
58	Woodstock, IL Estimated	46	-4.2%
62	Columbia, IL Estimated	45	-26.2%
62	Manhattan, IL Estimated	45	-2.2%
64	Bourbonnais, IL Estimated	44	-12%
64	Wilmette, IL Estimated	44	0%
66	Marion, IL Estimated	42	-8.7%
67	Matteson, IL Estimated	41	+583.3%
67	McHenry, IL Estimated	41	+115.8%
67	Waukegan, IL Estimated	41	+10.8%
70	Homer Glen, IL Estimated	40	+42.9%
70	North Aurora, IL Estimated	40	-54%
70	South Elgin, IL Estimated	40	+1,233.3%
70	Waterloo, IL Estimated	40	+66.7%
74	Troy, IL Estimated	39	+25.8%
75	Glen Carbon, IL Estimated	38	-9.5%
76	Morton, IL Estimated	37	-30.2%
76	Park Ridge, IL Estimated	37	+54.2%
76	Rockford, IL Estimated	37	+236.4%
79	Carol Stream, IL Estimated	36	+12.5%
80	Herrin, IL Estimated	35	-2.8%
81	Minooka, IL Estimated	34	+6.3%
81	Tinley Park, IL Estimated	34	+47.8%
83	Beach Park, IL Estimated	32	-8.6%
83	Godfrey, IL Estimated	32	+77.8%
85	Montgomery, IL Estimated	31	+24%
86	Sycamore, IL Estimated	30	-43.4%
87	Swansea, IL Estimated	29	-6.5%
87	Woodridge, IL Estimated	29	+45%
89	Belleville, IL Estimated	28	-17.6%
89	Burr Ridge, IL Estimated	28	+133.3%
89	Highland Park, IL Estimated	28	+55.6%
89	Pekin, IL Estimated	28	-6.7%
93	Ottawa, IL Estimated	27	0%
94	Carpentersville, IL Estimated	26	-33.3%
94	Granite City, IL Estimated	26	+116.7%
96	Westmont, IL Estimated	25	0%
97	Bradley, IL Estimated	24	+14.3%
97	Evanston, IL Estimated	24	-71.4%
97	Morton Grove, IL Estimated	24	+500%
100	Loves Park, IL Estimated	23	+155.6%
100	St. Charles, IL Estimated	23	-37.8%
102	Batavia, IL Estimated	22	+214.3%
103	Geneva, IL Estimated	20	+66.7%
103	Libertyville, IL Estimated	20	-39.4%
105	La Grange, IL Estimated	19	-5%
105	Winnetka, IL Estimated	19	-36.7%
107	Collinsville, IL Estimated	18	+260%
107	Crystal Lake, IL Estimated	18	-80.4%
107	Lake Zurich, IL Estimated	18	-21.7%
110	Effingham, IL Estimated	17	-37%
110	Mount Prospect, IL Estimated	17	-83%
112	Barrington, IL Estimated	16	+45.5%
112	Bartlett, IL Estimated	16	+433.3%
112	Lombard, IL Estimated	16	-61%
112	Prospect Heights, IL Estimated	16	0%
112	Romeoville, IL Estimated	16	-33.3%
117	Lake Forest, IL Estimated	15	+25%
118	Burbank, IL Estimated	14	0%
119	Machesney Park, IL Estimated	13	+85.7%
119	Roselle, IL Estimated	13	-7.1%
121	Cary, IL Estimated	12	+33.3%
122	Channahon, IL Estimated	11	+10%
122	Round Lake, IL Estimated	11	-63.3%
124	Brookfield, IL Estimated	10	+233.3%
124	Markham, IL Estimated	10	-9.1%
126	Charleston, IL Estimated	9	-60.9%
127	Buffalo Grove, IL Estimated	8	+33.3%
127	Macomb, IL Estimated	8	-11.1%
127	Skokie, IL Estimated	8	+166.7%
130	Crest Hill, IL Estimated	7	+600%
130	Lincolnwood, IL Estimated	7	+75%
130	Lindenhurst, IL Estimated	7	-58.8%
130	Mattoon, IL Estimated	7	+16.7%
130	Mount Vernon, IL Estimated	7	-41.7%
130	Warrenville, IL Estimated	7	+40%
136	Addison, IL Estimated	6	+100%
136	Campton Hills, IL Estimated	6	+200%
136	Elmwood Park, IL Estimated	6	n/a
136	Kankakee, IL Estimated	6	+500%
136	Norridge, IL Estimated	6	+200%
136	Palos Hills, IL Estimated	6	+100%
136	Pontiac, IL Estimated	6	+50%
136	West Chicago, IL Estimated	6	+20%
136	Wood Dale, IL Estimated	6	+100%
145	Belvidere, IL Estimated	5	-58.3%
145	Bensenville, IL Estimated	5	+400%
145	Danville, IL Estimated	5	n/a
145	Highland, IL Estimated	5	-89.6%
145	Oak Lawn, IL Estimated	5	-16.7%
145	Rolling Meadows, IL Estimated	5	-28.6%
151	Des Plaines, IL Estimated	4	-87.1%
151	Gurnee, IL Estimated	4	0%
151	La Grange Park, IL Estimated	4	-60%
154	Evergreen Park, IL Estimated	3	+200%
154	Galesburg, IL Estimated	3	-50%
154	Hickory Hills, IL Estimated	3	-40%
154	Kewanee, IL Estimated	3	+50%
154	Niles, IL Estimated	3	-40%
154	Sterling, IL Estimated	3	-94%
160	Decatur, IL Estimated	2	-84.6%
160	East Moline, IL Estimated	2	-83.3%
160	Jacksonville, IL Estimated	2	-50%
160	Justice, IL Estimated	2	n/a
160	Lincoln, IL Estimated	2	+100%
160	Midlothian, IL Estimated	2	+100%
160	Oak Forest, IL Estimated	2	+100%
160	Schiller Park, IL Estimated	2	n/a
160	Streator, IL Estimated	2	+100%
160	Taylorville, IL Estimated	2	-90%
160	Villa Park, IL Estimated	2	n/a
160	Wood River, IL Estimated	2	-33.3%
172	Alsip, IL Estimated	1	n/a
172	Alton, IL Estimated	1	-92.3%
172	Berwyn, IL Estimated	1	n/a
172	Bloomingdale, IL Estimated	1	-50%
172	Canton, IL Estimated	1	-75%
172	Darien, IL Estimated	1	-80%
172	Dixon, IL Estimated	1	-93.3%
172	Forest Park, IL Estimated	1	n/a
172	Fox Lake, IL Estimated	1	-50%
172	Freeport, IL Estimated	1	0%
172	Grayslake, IL Estimated	1	-50%
172	Hoffman Estates, IL Estimated	1	-50%
172	Lyons, IL Estimated	1	0%
172	Melrose Park, IL Estimated	1	n/a
172	Plano, IL Estimated	1	n/a
187	Antioch, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Blue Island, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Bridgeview, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Calumet City, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Centralia, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Chicago Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Chicago Ridge, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Cicero, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Country Club Hills, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Crestwood, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	DeKalb, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Dolton, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Elk Grove Village, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Franklin Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Glendale Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Hanover Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Harvey, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Hazel Crest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Homewood, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Lansing, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Maywood, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	North Chicago, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Northlake, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Palos Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Park Forest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Rantoul, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Richton Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	River Forest, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	River Grove, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Riverdale, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Round Lake Beach, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	South Holland, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Summit, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Wauconda, IL Estimated	0	-100%
187	Westchester, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Worth, IL Estimated	0	n/a
187	Zion, IL Estimated	0	n/a

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of new privately owned housing units authorized by building permits in the year or month, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Annual totals for the nation, states and counties; monthly counts for the nation and states.

Counts housing units, not buildings, starts, completions or sales. Monthly counts are not seasonally adjusted and do not add up exactly to the annual total, which includes later corrections; the national seasonally adjusted annual rate in the monthly New Residential Construction release is a different measure.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. 1 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2014 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2016). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt

MLA 9

Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014. U.S. Census Bureau, 30 Sept. 2016, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2016. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2016) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2014,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014}},
  year = {2016},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest\%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}

RIS

TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2014
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/09/30
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2014a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

Which city has the highest housing units authorized by building permits?

Chicago, IL, with 5,750 in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest housing units authorized by building permits?

Zion, IL, with 0 in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 cities have no value for 2014 and are not ranked.