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 2016, at 9,104. Zion, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 14 and the figure for Illinois was 22,603. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest9,104Chicago, IL

Lowest0Zion, IL

Median14223 cities

Illinois22,603History

Top 40 cities, 2016

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2016 count	Change on 2015
1	Chicago, IL Estimated	9,104	+58.3%
2	Champaign, IL Estimated	655	-21.2%
3	Naperville, IL Estimated	400	+18.7%
4	Plainfield, IL Estimated	343	+127.2%
5	Bolingbrook, IL Estimated	315	+154%
6	North Aurora, IL Estimated	313	+979.3%
7	Oak Park, IL Estimated	290	+900%
8	Pingree Grove, IL Estimated	263	-7.7%
9	Joliet, IL Estimated	228	+8.6%
10	Huntley, IL Estimated	191	+20.9%
11	Elgin, IL Estimated	175	-35.7%
12	New Lenox, IL Estimated	170	+4.9%
13	Springfield, IL Estimated	168	+10.5%
14	Arlington Heights, IL Estimated	155	+4.7%
14	Aurora, IL Estimated	155	-63.3%
16	Yorkville, IL Estimated	154	+83.3%
17	Normal, IL Estimated	151	+10.2%
17	Wheeling, IL Estimated	151	-38.1%
19	Morris, IL Estimated	148	+13.8%
20	O'Fallon, IL Estimated	145	+8.2%
21	Bloomington, IL Estimated	134	-24.3%
22	Lake Forest, IL Estimated	129	+416%
23	Elmhurst, IL Estimated	128	-61.2%
24	Chatham, IL Estimated	123	+36.7%
25	Matteson, IL Estimated	118	+268.8%
26	Glenview, IL Estimated	116	-39.6%
27	Lockport, IL Estimated	115	+173.8%
28	Mahomet, IL Estimated	114	+26.7%
29	Wilmette, IL Estimated	110	+129.2%
30	Highland Park, IL Estimated	97	+438.9%
30	Shorewood, IL Estimated	97	0%
32	Batavia, IL Estimated	96	+500%
33	Lemont, IL Estimated	91	-21.6%
34	McHenry, IL Estimated	90	+40.6%
35	Collinsville, IL Estimated	87	+625%
36	Rockford, IL Estimated	86	+186.7%
37	Mokena, IL Estimated	85	+18.1%
38	Manhattan, IL Estimated	84	+44.8%
39	Geneva, IL Estimated	83	+9.2%
40	Woodridge, IL Estimated	81	-49.4%
41	Channahon, IL Estimated	78	+290%
41	Frankfort, IL Estimated	78	-7.1%
43	Homer Glen, IL Estimated	76	+72.7%
44	Downers Grove, IL Estimated	71	-6.6%
45	Des Plaines, IL Estimated	69	+762.5%
45	South Elgin, IL Estimated	69	+11.3%
47	Waterloo, IL Estimated	67	+39.6%
48	Quincy, IL Estimated	64	0%
49	Orland Park, IL Estimated	62	-79.8%
49	Palatine, IL Estimated	62	+31.9%
51	Park Ridge, IL Estimated	60	+22.4%
52	Troy, IL Estimated	59	+37.2%
53	Urbana, IL Estimated	54	-62.8%
54	Marion, IL Estimated	53	+82.8%
55	Morton, IL Estimated	50	0%
55	Oswego, IL Estimated	50	-28.6%
55	Plano, IL Estimated	50	+1,150%
58	Wheaton, IL Estimated	49	+8.9%
59	Sycamore, IL Estimated	48	-36.8%
59	Washington, IL Estimated	48	-65.2%
61	Libertyville, IL Estimated	45	+150%
61	Northbrook, IL Estimated	45	+18.4%
61	Woodstock, IL Estimated	45	+15.4%
64	Moline, IL Estimated	44	+2.3%
64	Western Springs, IL Estimated	44	-34.3%
66	Columbia, IL Estimated	43	-20.4%
67	Belleville, IL Estimated	42	+281.8%
68	Minooka, IL Estimated	40	+21.2%
69	Glen Carbon, IL Estimated	39	+30%
69	Peoria, IL Estimated	39	-20.4%
69	St. Charles, IL Estimated	39	+11.4%
72	Schaumburg, IL Estimated	37	-81.5%
73	Mundelein, IL Estimated	36	+89.5%
74	Bourbonnais, IL Estimated	35	+9.4%
74	Rolling Meadows, IL Estimated	35	+52.2%
76	Grayslake, IL Estimated	33	+3,200%
76	Shiloh, IL Estimated	33	-31.3%
78	Fox Lake, IL Estimated	32	+966.7%
78	River Forest, IL Estimated	32	n/a
80	Edwardsville, IL Estimated	31	-40.4%
80	Hinsdale, IL Estimated	31	-44.6%
80	Winnetka, IL Estimated	31	+24%
83	Burr Ridge, IL Estimated	30	+11.1%
83	Herrin, IL Estimated	30	-16.7%
83	Hoffman Estates, IL Estimated	30	-3.2%
83	Wood River, IL Estimated	30	+328.6%
87	Tinley Park, IL Estimated	29	+11.5%
88	Effingham, IL Estimated	28	-45.1%
89	Algonquin, IL Estimated	27	-87.1%
90	Ottawa, IL Estimated	25	+19%
91	Warrenville, IL Estimated	24	+50%
92	Beach Park, IL Estimated	23	+35.3%
92	Carbondale, IL Estimated	23	-30.3%
92	Deerfield, IL Estimated	23	-4.2%
95	Highland, IL Estimated	22	+83.3%
95	Loves Park, IL Estimated	22	-24.1%
95	Winfield, IL Estimated	22	+37.5%
98	Romeoville, IL Estimated	21	0%
98	Vernon Hills, IL Estimated	21	-57.1%
100	Lombard, IL Estimated	20	-90%
100	Swansea, IL Estimated	20	-48.7%
102	Roselle, IL Estimated	19	+11.8%
103	Godfrey, IL Estimated	18	-33.3%
104	Buffalo Grove, IL Estimated	17	-26.1%
104	Darien, IL Estimated	17	+142.9%
104	East Peoria, IL Estimated	17	-22.7%
104	Glen Ellyn, IL Estimated	17	-57.5%
108	Dixon, IL Estimated	16	+23.1%
108	Lake in the Hills, IL Estimated	16	+166.7%
110	Decatur, IL Estimated	15	+150%
111	Carol Stream, IL Estimated	14	-6.7%
111	Oak Lawn, IL Estimated	14	+40%
113	Barrington, IL Estimated	13	+8.3%
114	Bradley, IL Estimated	12	-7.7%
114	Evanston, IL Estimated	12	-74.5%
114	Fairview Heights, IL Estimated	12	+9.1%
114	Lisle, IL Estimated	12	-76.5%
114	Westmont, IL Estimated	12	-40%
119	Northlake, IL Estimated	11	-84.7%
120	Crest Hill, IL Estimated	10	+900%
120	Mattoon, IL Estimated	10	+150%
120	Pekin, IL Estimated	10	-70.6%
123	Bartlett, IL Estimated	9	+125%
123	Burbank, IL Estimated	9	-35.7%
123	Campton Hills, IL Estimated	9	-10%
126	Belvidere, IL Estimated	8	n/a
126	Bensenville, IL Estimated	8	-73.3%
126	Montgomery, IL Estimated	8	-75%
129	Elmwood Park, IL Estimated	7	-61.1%
129	Galesburg, IL Estimated	7	n/a
129	La Grange, IL Estimated	7	-63.2%
129	Morton Grove, IL Estimated	7	-50%
129	Mount Vernon, IL Estimated	7	-36.4%
129	Norridge, IL Estimated	7	-22.2%
135	Markham, IL Estimated	6	+50%
135	Summit, IL Estimated	6	-57.1%
137	Danville, IL Estimated	5	+66.7%
137	Lake Zurich, IL Estimated	5	-78.3%
137	Mount Prospect, IL Estimated	5	-16.7%
137	Palos Hills, IL Estimated	5	-28.6%
137	Skokie, IL Estimated	5	-50%
137	Waukegan, IL Estimated	5	-88.6%
143	Brookfield, IL Estimated	4	0%
143	Hickory Hills, IL Estimated	4	+100%
143	Lincolnwood, IL Estimated	4	+100%
143	Rock Island, IL Estimated	4	-81.8%
143	Sterling, IL Estimated	4	-33.3%
143	West Chicago, IL Estimated	4	+33.3%
149	Addison, IL Estimated	3	-25%
149	Antioch, IL Estimated	3	+50%
149	Crystal Lake, IL Estimated	3	+50%
149	Granite City, IL Estimated	3	-57.1%
149	Gurnee, IL Estimated	3	+200%
149	Jacksonville, IL Estimated	3	-25%
149	Justice, IL Estimated	3	n/a
149	Kewanee, IL Estimated	3	+200%
149	La Grange Park, IL Estimated	3	-25%
149	Lyons, IL Estimated	3	+50%
149	Niles, IL Estimated	3	-57.1%
149	Pontiac, IL Estimated	3	+50%
149	Villa Park, IL Estimated	3	-50%
149	Worth, IL Estimated	3	n/a
163	Alton, IL Estimated	2	-66.7%
163	Bellwood, IL Estimated	2	-50%
163	Bloomingdale, IL Estimated	2	-71.4%
163	Centralia, IL Estimated	2	+100%
163	Charleston, IL Estimated	2	-77.8%
163	DeKalb, IL Estimated	2	-60%
163	East Moline, IL Estimated	2	-50%
163	Homewood, IL Estimated	2	-33.3%
163	Lincoln, IL Estimated	2	0%
163	Machesney Park, IL Estimated	2	n/a
163	Prospect Heights, IL Estimated	2	0%
163	Rantoul, IL Estimated	2	0%
163	Schiller Park, IL Estimated	2	+100%
163	Taylorville, IL Estimated	2	0%
177	Berwyn, IL Estimated	1	n/a
177	Chicago Ridge, IL Estimated	1	n/a
177	Crestwood, IL Estimated	1	-50%
177	Evergreen Park, IL Estimated	1	0%
177	Macomb, IL Estimated	1	-75%
177	Oak Forest, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
177	Round Lake Beach, IL Estimated	1	n/a
177	Streamwood, IL Estimated	1	n/a
177	Streator, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
177	Wauconda, IL Estimated	1	0%
177	Wood Dale, IL Estimated	1	-85.7%
188	Alsip, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Blue Island, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Bridgeview, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Calumet City, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Canton, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Carpentersville, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Cary, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Chicago Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Cicero, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Country Club Hills, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Dolton, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	East St. Louis, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Elk Grove Village, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Forest Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Franklin Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Freeport, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Glendale Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Hanover Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Harvey, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Hazel Crest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Kankakee, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Lansing, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Lindenhurst, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Maywood, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Melrose Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Midlothian, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	North Chicago, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Palos Heights, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Park Forest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Richton Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	River Grove, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Riverdale, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Round Lake, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	South Holland, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Westchester, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	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 2016 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/mw2016a.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. (2017). 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, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.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, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2017, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2017. 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, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2017) 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, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2016,
  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, 2016}},
  year = {2017},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016. 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/mw2016a.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, 2016
PY  - 2017
DA  - 2017/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2016a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016.
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/mw2016a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

Embed this chart

Paste this code into a web page or a blog post. The chart shows the latest figures as they are published, with the source and a link back to this page.

Embed code

<iframe src="https://invokely.ai/embed/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2016" width="760" height="500" title="Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits, 2016, chart from Invokely" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%;max-width:760px" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"></iframe>

Sites that read oEmbed links, such as WordPress, can show the chart when you paste the link to this page.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Cities in Illinois by housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.

rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_units","level":"municipality","within":"Illinois","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_units&level=municipality&within=Illinois&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

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

Chicago, IL, with 9,104 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Zion, IL, with 0 in 2016.

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 2016 and are not ranked.