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 2017, at 8,939. Westchester, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 15 and the figure for Illinois was 24,992. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest8,939Chicago, IL

Lowest0Westchester, IL

Median15223 cities

Illinois24,992History

Top 40 cities, 2017

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

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2017 count	Change on 2016
1	Chicago, IL Estimated	8,939	-1.8%
2	Des Plaines, IL Estimated	592	+758%
3	Naperville, IL Estimated	558	+39.5%
4	Champaign, IL Estimated	506	-22.7%
5	Lombard, IL Estimated	489	+2,345%
6	South Elgin, IL Estimated	392	+468.1%
7	Pingree Grove, IL Estimated	333	+26.6%
8	Wheeling, IL Estimated	301	+99.3%
9	Oak Park, IL Estimated	294	+1.4%
10	St. Charles, IL Estimated	277	+610.3%
11	Vernon Hills, IL Estimated	268	+1,176.2%
12	Normal, IL Estimated	223	+47.7%
13	Joliet, IL Estimated	221	-3.1%
14	O'Fallon, IL Estimated	220	+51.7%
15	Yorkville, IL Estimated	215	+39.6%
16	Arlington Heights, IL Estimated	185	+19.4%
17	Huntley, IL Estimated	155	-18.8%
18	Palos Heights, IL Estimated	154	n/a
19	Springfield, IL Estimated	151	-10.1%
20	Morris, IL Estimated	147	-0.7%
21	Plainfield, IL Estimated	144	-58%
22	Bolingbrook, IL Estimated	141	-55.2%
22	Elgin, IL Estimated	141	-19.4%
22	New Lenox, IL Estimated	141	-17.1%
25	Aurora, IL Estimated	127	-18.1%
26	Lake Zurich, IL Estimated	116	+2,220%
27	McHenry, IL Estimated	109	+21.1%
28	Channahon, IL Estimated	107	+37.2%
29	Lemont, IL Estimated	103	+13.2%
30	Bloomington, IL Estimated	101	-24.6%
31	Lockport, IL Estimated	98	-14.8%
31	Manhattan, IL Estimated	98	+16.7%
33	Elmhurst, IL Estimated	97	-24.2%
34	Frankfort, IL Estimated	94	+20.5%
35	Matteson, IL Estimated	91	-22.9%
36	Columbia, IL Estimated	89	+107%
37	Shorewood, IL Estimated	82	-15.5%
38	Waterloo, IL Estimated	79	+17.9%
39	Quincy, IL Estimated	78	+21.9%
40	Highland Park, IL Estimated	77	-20.6%
40	Mahomet, IL Estimated	77	-32.5%
42	Downers Grove, IL Estimated	74	+4.2%
43	Mokena, IL Estimated	73	-14.1%
44	Chatham, IL Estimated	70	-43.1%
44	Kankakee, IL Estimated	70	n/a
46	Woodridge, IL Estimated	69	-14.8%
47	Orland Park, IL Estimated	66	+6.5%
47	Park Ridge, IL Estimated	66	+10%
49	Mundelein, IL Estimated	65	+80.6%
50	Urbana, IL Estimated	63	+16.7%
51	Wilmette, IL Estimated	62	-43.6%
52	Troy, IL Estimated	61	+3.4%
53	Sycamore, IL Estimated	60	+25%
54	Hoffman Estates, IL Estimated	59	+96.7%
54	North Aurora, IL Estimated	59	-81.2%
56	Grayslake, IL Estimated	58	+75.8%
57	Evanston, IL Estimated	56	+366.7%
58	Antioch, IL Estimated	55	+1,733.3%
58	Marion, IL Estimated	55	+3.8%
60	Homer Glen, IL Estimated	52	-31.6%
60	Oswego, IL Estimated	52	+4%
60	Romeoville, IL Estimated	52	+147.6%
63	Palatine, IL Estimated	51	-17.7%
64	Rockford, IL Estimated	50	-41.9%
64	Woodstock, IL Estimated	50	+11.1%
66	Shiloh, IL Estimated	49	+48.5%
67	Lake Forest, IL Estimated	48	-62.8%
68	Gurnee, IL Estimated	47	+1,466.7%
68	Moline, IL Estimated	47	+6.8%
70	Bradley, IL Estimated	46	+283.3%
70	Northbrook, IL Estimated	46	+2.2%
70	Wheaton, IL Estimated	46	-6.1%
73	Mount Vernon, IL Estimated	45	+542.9%
74	Highland, IL Estimated	42	+90.9%
75	Edwardsville, IL Estimated	37	+19.4%
76	Schaumburg, IL Estimated	36	-2.7%
77	Barrington, IL Estimated	35	+169.2%
77	Glenview, IL Estimated	35	-69.8%
77	Libertyville, IL Estimated	35	-22.2%
77	Lisle, IL Estimated	35	+191.7%
81	Belleville, IL Estimated	34	-19%
82	Algonquin, IL Estimated	33	+22.2%
83	Geneva, IL Estimated	32	-61.4%
83	Peoria, IL Estimated	32	-17.9%
85	Ottawa, IL Estimated	31	+24%
86	Morton, IL Estimated	30	-40%
86	Swansea, IL Estimated	30	+50%
88	Bartlett, IL Estimated	29	+222.2%
88	Herrin, IL Estimated	29	-3.3%
90	Warrenville, IL Estimated	28	+16.7%
90	Western Springs, IL Estimated	28	-36.4%
92	Effingham, IL Estimated	27	-3.6%
92	Fox Lake, IL Estimated	27	-15.6%
92	Hinsdale, IL Estimated	27	-12.9%
92	Morton Grove, IL Estimated	27	+285.7%
96	East Peoria, IL Estimated	26	+52.9%
97	Burr Ridge, IL Estimated	25	-16.7%
97	Loves Park, IL Estimated	25	+13.6%
97	Tinley Park, IL Estimated	25	-13.8%
97	Washington, IL Estimated	25	-47.9%
101	Bourbonnais, IL Estimated	24	-31.4%
101	Winfield, IL Estimated	24	+9.1%
103	Glen Ellyn, IL Estimated	23	+35.3%
104	Glen Carbon, IL Estimated	22	-43.6%
105	Godfrey, IL Estimated	21	+16.7%
106	Westmont, IL Estimated	20	+66.7%
107	Winnetka, IL Estimated	19	-38.7%
108	Buffalo Grove, IL Estimated	18	+5.9%
109	Burbank, IL Estimated	17	+88.9%
110	Addison, IL Estimated	16	+433.3%
111	Crestwood, IL Estimated	15	+1,400%
111	Lake in the Hills, IL Estimated	15	-6.3%
113	Belvidere, IL Estimated	14	+75%
113	Deerfield, IL Estimated	14	-39.1%
113	Minooka, IL Estimated	14	-65%
116	Batavia, IL Estimated	13	-86.5%
116	Bellwood, IL Estimated	13	+550%
116	Darien, IL Estimated	13	-23.5%
116	Montgomery, IL Estimated	13	+62.5%
120	Centralia, IL Estimated	12	+500%
120	La Grange, IL Estimated	12	+71.4%
120	Machesney Park, IL Estimated	12	+500%
120	Summit, IL Estimated	12	+100%
124	Carbondale, IL Estimated	11	-52.2%
124	Hickory Hills, IL Estimated	11	+175%
124	Mattoon, IL Estimated	11	+10%
127	Campton Hills, IL Estimated	10	+11.1%
127	Fairview Heights, IL Estimated	10	-16.7%
129	Collinsville, IL Estimated	9	-89.7%
129	Oak Lawn, IL Estimated	9	-35.7%
131	Decatur, IL Estimated	8	-46.7%
131	Wood River, IL Estimated	8	-73.3%
133	Bensenville, IL Estimated	7	-12.5%
133	Crystal Lake, IL Estimated	7	+133.3%
133	Dixon, IL Estimated	7	-56.3%
133	Galesburg, IL Estimated	7	0%
133	Granite City, IL Estimated	7	+133.3%
133	Palos Hills, IL Estimated	7	+40%
133	Rolling Meadows, IL Estimated	7	-80%
140	Markham, IL Estimated	6	0%
140	Worth, IL Estimated	6	+100%
142	Brookfield, IL Estimated	5	+25%
142	Crest Hill, IL Estimated	5	-50%
142	Forest Park, IL Estimated	5	n/a
142	Sterling, IL Estimated	5	+25%
142	Villa Park, IL Estimated	5	+66.7%
142	Wauconda, IL Estimated	5	+400%
148	Berwyn, IL Estimated	4	+300%
148	Bridgeview, IL Estimated	4	n/a
148	Charleston, IL Estimated	4	+100%
148	Chicago Ridge, IL Estimated	4	+300%
148	Jacksonville, IL Estimated	4	+33.3%
148	La Grange Park, IL Estimated	4	+33.3%
148	North Chicago, IL Estimated	4	n/a
148	Pekin, IL Estimated	4	-60%
148	Plano, IL Estimated	4	-92%
148	River Forest, IL Estimated	4	-87.5%
148	Roselle, IL Estimated	4	-78.9%
148	Skokie, IL Estimated	4	-20%
148	Taylorville, IL Estimated	4	+100%
161	Blue Island, IL Estimated	3	n/a
161	Danville, IL Estimated	3	-40%
161	Kewanee, IL Estimated	3	0%
161	Mount Prospect, IL Estimated	3	-40%
161	Waukegan, IL Estimated	3	-40%
161	West Chicago, IL Estimated	3	-25%
167	DeKalb, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	East Moline, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	Evergreen Park, IL Estimated	2	+100%
167	Homewood, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	Lincoln, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	Lincolnwood, IL Estimated	2	-50%
167	Lindenhurst, IL Estimated	2	n/a
167	Northlake, IL Estimated	2	-81.8%
167	Oak Forest, IL Estimated	2	+100%
167	Pontiac, IL Estimated	2	-33.3%
167	Prospect Heights, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	Rantoul, IL Estimated	2	0%
167	Round Lake Beach, IL Estimated	2	+100%
167	Wood Dale, IL Estimated	2	+100%
181	Bloomingdale, IL Estimated	1	-50%
181	Canton, IL Estimated	1	n/a
181	Elmwood Park, IL Estimated	1	-85.7%
181	Freeport, IL Estimated	1	n/a
181	Justice, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
181	Lyons, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
181	Macomb, IL Estimated	1	0%
181	Melrose Park, IL Estimated	1	n/a
181	Niles, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
181	Norridge, IL Estimated	1	-85.7%
181	Rock Island, IL Estimated	1	-75%
181	Schiller Park, IL Estimated	1	-50%
181	Zion, IL Estimated	1	n/a
194	Alsip, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Alton, IL Estimated	0	-100%
194	Beach Park, IL Estimated	0	-100%
194	Calumet City, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Carol Stream, IL Estimated	0	-100%
194	Carpentersville, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Cary, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Chicago Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Cicero, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Country Club Hills, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Dolton, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	East St. Louis, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Elk Grove Village, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Franklin Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Glendale Heights, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Hanover Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Harvey, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Hazel Crest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Lansing, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Maywood, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Midlothian, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Park Forest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Richton Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	River Grove, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Riverdale, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Round Lake, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	South Holland, IL Estimated	0	n/a
194	Streamwood, IL Estimated	0	-100%
194	Streator, IL Estimated	0	-100%
194	Westchester, 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 2017 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/mw2017a.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. (2018). 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, 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.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, 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2018, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. 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, 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) 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, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2017,
  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, 2017}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017. 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/mw2017a.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, 2017
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/05/01
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2017a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/building-permit-housing-units/illinois-cities?period=2017.
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/mw2017a.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 8,939 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

Westchester, IL, with 0 in 2017.

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 2017 and are not ranked.