Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits
Chicago, IL had the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits of 223 cities in 2019, at 410. Zion, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 9. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.
Top 40 cities, 2019
Full ranking
| Rank | Cities | 2019 | Change on 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL Estimated | 410 | -6.6% |
| 2 | Naperville, IL Estimated | 246 | -9.9% |
| 3 | Plainfield, IL Estimated | 202 | +12.2% |
| 4 | Joliet, IL Estimated | 172 | -30.4% |
| 5 | Manhattan, IL Estimated | 160 | +52.4% |
| 6 | Yorkville, IL Estimated | 146 | -39.9% |
| 7 | McHenry, IL Estimated | 143 | +70.2% |
| 8 | Elgin, IL Estimated | 133 | -8.9% |
| 9 | O'Fallon, IL Estimated | 126 | -24.1% |
| 10 | New Lenox, IL Estimated | 119 | -16.2% |
| 11 | Huntley, IL Estimated | 110 | +10,900% |
| 12 | Channahon, IL Estimated | 96 | -5.9% |
| 13 | Oswego, IL Estimated | 92 | -17.9% |
| 14 | Elmhurst, IL Estimated | 90 | -5.3% |
| 15 | Crystal Lake, IL Estimated | 89 | +345% |
| 16 | Frankfort, IL Estimated | 85 | -35.6% |
| 17 | North Aurora, IL Estimated | 81 | +37.3% |
| 18 | Aurora, IL Estimated | 72 | -40.5% |
| 18 | Woodridge, IL Estimated | 72 | -7.7% |
| 20 | Champaign, IL Estimated | 71 | -46.2% |
| 21 | Bolingbrook, IL Estimated | 66 | +200% |
| 22 | Pingree Grove, IL Estimated | 65 | -82.8% |
| 23 | Lemont, IL Estimated | 63 | -32.3% |
| 23 | Montgomery, IL Estimated | 63 | +384.6% |
| 25 | Machesney Park, IL Estimated | 62 | +31.9% |
| 26 | Hoffman Estates, IL Estimated | 61 | -14.1% |
| 26 | Loves Park, IL Estimated | 61 | -12.9% |
| 26 | Shiloh, IL Estimated | 61 | +1.7% |
| 29 | Shorewood, IL Estimated | 60 | -50.4% |
| 30 | Plano, IL Estimated | 59 | +68.6% |
| 30 | Quincy, IL Estimated | 59 | +37.2% |
| 32 | Springfield, IL Estimated | 57 | -23% |
| 33 | Minooka, IL Estimated | 55 | +19.6% |
| 34 | Woodstock, IL Estimated | 53 | +15.2% |
| 35 | Downers Grove, IL Estimated | 50 | -20.6% |
| 35 | Mahomet, IL Estimated | 50 | -3.8% |
| 37 | Algonquin, IL Estimated | 49 | -43% |
| 37 | Belleville, IL Estimated | 49 | +40% |
| 39 | Troy, IL Estimated | 45 | +4.7% |
| 39 | Warrenville, IL Estimated | 45 | +150% |
| 41 | Des Plaines, IL Estimated | 44 | -54.2% |
| 41 | St. Charles, IL Estimated | 44 | +57.1% |
| 43 | Lockport, IL Estimated | 43 | -55.2% |
| 43 | Mundelein, IL Estimated | 43 | +30.3% |
| 45 | Hinsdale, IL Estimated | 40 | -16.7% |
| 46 | Libertyville, IL Estimated | 39 | +160% |
| 46 | Normal, IL Estimated | 39 | +5.4% |
| 46 | Orland Park, IL Estimated | 39 | +34.5% |
| 46 | Sycamore, IL Estimated | 39 | -23.5% |
| 46 | Waterloo, IL Estimated | 39 | -17% |
| 51 | Bloomington, IL Estimated | 38 | +72.7% |
| 52 | Arlington Heights, IL Estimated | 37 | -40.3% |
| 52 | Northbrook, IL Estimated | 37 | 0% |
| 54 | Antioch, IL Estimated | 35 | +66.7% |
| 54 | Mokena, IL Estimated | 35 | -30% |
| 56 | Peoria, IL Estimated | 33 | +3.1% |
| 56 | Rockford, IL Estimated | 33 | +106.3% |
| 56 | Tinley Park, IL Estimated | 33 | +22.2% |
| 59 | Burr Ridge, IL Estimated | 32 | -20% |
| 59 | Chatham, IL Estimated | 32 | -22% |
| 59 | Marion, IL Estimated | 32 | -11.1% |
| 62 | Bourbonnais, IL Estimated | 31 | +29.2% |
| 62 | Edwardsville, IL Estimated | 31 | -41.5% |
| 62 | Vernon Hills, IL Estimated | 31 | -42.6% |
| 62 | Western Springs, IL Estimated | 31 | +19.2% |
| 66 | Matteson, IL Estimated | 30 | -33.3% |
| 67 | Godfrey, IL Estimated | 29 | +93.3% |
| 67 | Lombard, IL Estimated | 29 | +7.4% |
| 67 | Wilmette, IL Estimated | 29 | -17.1% |
| 70 | Addison, IL Estimated | 28 | -6.7% |
| 70 | Glen Carbon, IL Estimated | 28 | -12.5% |
| 72 | Bloomingdale, IL Estimated | 26 | +13% |
| 73 | Fox Lake, IL Estimated | 25 | -30.6% |
| 73 | Romeoville, IL Estimated | 25 | -44.4% |
| 73 | South Elgin, IL Estimated | 25 | -68.4% |
| 73 | Swansea, IL Estimated | 25 | +8.7% |
| 77 | Glen Ellyn, IL Estimated | 24 | -17.2% |
| 78 | Campton Hills, IL Estimated | 22 | -4.3% |
| 78 | Lake Forest, IL Estimated | 22 | -15.4% |
| 78 | Ottawa, IL Estimated | 22 | -24.1% |
| 78 | Urbana, IL Estimated | 22 | -45% |
| 82 | Glenview, IL Estimated | 21 | -48.8% |
| 82 | Highland Park, IL Estimated | 21 | -8.7% |
| 84 | Columbia, IL Estimated | 20 | -48.7% |
| 85 | Bartlett, IL Estimated | 19 | +46.2% |
| 85 | Cary, IL Estimated | 19 | -48.6% |
| 85 | Homer Glen, IL Estimated | 19 | -58.7% |
| 85 | Washington, IL Estimated | 19 | -13.6% |
| 89 | Geneva, IL Estimated | 18 | -64% |
| 89 | Oak Park, IL Estimated | 18 | +100% |
| 89 | Park Ridge, IL Estimated | 18 | -33.3% |
| 92 | Batavia, IL Estimated | 16 | +45.5% |
| 92 | Highland, IL Estimated | 16 | 0% |
| 94 | Westmont, IL Estimated | 15 | +36.4% |
| 94 | Wheaton, IL Estimated | 15 | -31.8% |
| 96 | Collinsville, IL Estimated | 14 | +27.3% |
| 96 | Effingham, IL Estimated | 14 | +40% |
| 96 | Evanston, IL Estimated | 14 | +250% |
| 96 | Moline, IL Estimated | 14 | -6.7% |
| 96 | Morton Grove, IL Estimated | 14 | -6.7% |
| 101 | La Grange, IL Estimated | 13 | +8.3% |
| 101 | Oak Lawn, IL Estimated | 13 | +333.3% |
| 103 | Bradley, IL Estimated | 12 | -69.2% |
| 103 | Centralia, IL Estimated | 12 | 0% |
| 103 | Herrin, IL Estimated | 12 | -33.3% |
| 103 | Winnetka, IL Estimated | 12 | -33.3% |
| 107 | Dixon, IL Estimated | 11 | +175% |
| 107 | Morris, IL Estimated | 11 | 0% |
| 109 | East Peoria, IL Estimated | 10 | -70.6% |
| 109 | Villa Park, IL Estimated | 10 | +150% |
| 111 | Belvidere, IL Estimated | 9 | +28.6% |
| 111 | Deerfield, IL Estimated | 9 | -50% |
| 113 | Barrington, IL Estimated | 8 | -11.1% |
| 113 | Berwyn, IL Estimated | 8 | -33.3% |
| 113 | Bridgeview, IL Estimated | 8 | +60% |
| 113 | Mount Vernon, IL Estimated | 8 | +300% |
| 113 | Winfield, IL Estimated | 8 | -66.7% |
| 118 | Granite City, IL Estimated | 7 | +16.7% |
| 118 | Lake Zurich, IL Estimated | 7 | +75% |
| 118 | Lisle, IL Estimated | 7 | -63.2% |
| 118 | Morton, IL Estimated | 7 | -41.7% |
| 118 | Mount Prospect, IL Estimated | 7 | +75% |
| 118 | North Chicago, IL Estimated | 7 | |
| 118 | Pekin, IL Estimated | 7 | +75% |
| 118 | Waukegan, IL Estimated | 7 | -58.8% |
| 126 | Burbank, IL Estimated | 6 | -25% |
| 126 | Danville, IL Estimated | 6 | +20% |
| 126 | Palatine, IL Estimated | 6 | -45.5% |
| 126 | Palos Hills, IL Estimated | 6 | 0% |
| 126 | Roselle, IL Estimated | 6 | -33.3% |
| 131 | Elmwood Park, IL Estimated | 5 | +400% |
| 131 | Fairview Heights, IL Estimated | 5 | -37.5% |
| 131 | Skokie, IL Estimated | 5 | -64.3% |
| 134 | Carbondale, IL Estimated | 4 | -42.9% |
| 134 | Chicago Ridge, IL Estimated | 4 | +100% |
| 134 | Darien, IL Estimated | 4 | -20% |
| 134 | Jacksonville, IL Estimated | 4 | +100% |
| 134 | Midlothian, IL Estimated | 4 | +33.3% |
| 134 | Northlake, IL Estimated | 4 | |
| 134 | Prospect Heights, IL Estimated | 4 | -20% |
| 134 | Wauconda, IL Estimated | 4 | -33.3% |
| 142 | Bensenville, IL Estimated | 3 | +200% |
| 142 | Crestwood, IL Estimated | 3 | -72.7% |
| 142 | East Moline, IL Estimated | 3 | 0% |
| 142 | Evergreen Park, IL Estimated | 3 | -57.1% |
| 142 | Hickory Hills, IL Estimated | 3 | +200% |
| 142 | La Grange Park, IL Estimated | 3 | -25% |
| 142 | Lincoln, IL Estimated | 3 | +200% |
| 142 | Mattoon, IL Estimated | 3 | -57.1% |
| 142 | Pontiac, IL Estimated | 3 | |
| 142 | River Forest, IL Estimated | 3 | 0% |
| 142 | Taylorville, IL Estimated | 3 | 0% |
| 142 | Wood Dale, IL Estimated | 3 | +50% |
| 142 | Wood River, IL Estimated | 3 | +50% |
| 155 | Buffalo Grove, IL Estimated | 2 | |
| 155 | Canton, IL Estimated | 2 | +100% |
| 155 | Freeport, IL Estimated | 2 | +100% |
| 155 | Justice, IL Estimated | 2 | -60% |
| 155 | Lyons, IL Estimated | 2 | 0% |
| 155 | Maywood, IL Estimated | 2 | |
| 155 | Niles, IL Estimated | 2 | 0% |
| 155 | Norridge, IL Estimated | 2 | +100% |
| 155 | Schaumburg, IL Estimated | 2 | -50% |
| 155 | Schiller Park, IL Estimated | 2 | |
| 155 | Sterling, IL Estimated | 2 | -33.3% |
| 166 | Alton, IL Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 166 | Bellwood, IL Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 166 | Carol Stream, IL Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 166 | Charleston, IL Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 166 | Cicero, IL Estimated | 1 | |
| 166 | Elk Grove Village, IL Estimated | 1 | |
| 166 | Grayslake, IL Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 166 | Gurnee, IL Estimated | 1 | -95.5% |
| 166 | Kewanee, IL Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 166 | Lincolnwood, IL Estimated | 1 | -75% |
| 166 | Macomb, IL Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 166 | Markham, IL Estimated | 1 | -80% |
| 166 | Melrose Park, IL Estimated | 1 | |
| 166 | Oak Forest, IL Estimated | 1 | -75% |
| 166 | Rantoul, IL Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 166 | River Grove, IL Estimated | 1 | |
| 166 | Rock Island, IL Estimated | 1 | -66.7% |
| 166 | Round Lake Beach, IL Estimated | 1 | 0% |
| 166 | South Holland, IL Estimated | 1 | |
| 166 | West Chicago, IL Estimated | 1 | -50% |
| 186 | Alsip, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Beach Park, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Blue Island, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Brookfield, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Calumet City, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Carpentersville, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Chicago Heights, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Country Club Hills, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Crest Hill, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Decatur, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | DeKalb, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Dolton, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | East St. Louis, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Forest Park, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Franklin Park, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Galesburg, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Glendale Heights, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Hanover Park, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Harvey, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Hazel Crest, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Homewood, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Kankakee, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Lake in the Hills, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Lansing, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Lindenhurst, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Palos Heights, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Park Forest, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Richton Park, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Riverdale, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Rolling Meadows, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Round Lake, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Streamwood, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Streator, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Summit, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Westchester, IL Estimated | 0 | |
| 186 | Wheeling, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Worth, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
| 186 | Zion, IL Estimated | 0 | -100% |
Other periods
About this ranking
Annual number of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures (detached and attached single-family homes) authorized by building permits, from the US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Part of building_permit_units, which also counts units in buildings with two or more units. Counts housing units, not starts, completions or sales.
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 2019 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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.Citation styles
APA 7
U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation (Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt
MLA 9
Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 May 2020, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.
Chicago (author-date)
U.S. Census Bureau. 2020. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019.
Harvard
U.S. Census Bureau (2020) Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation, Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2019,
author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
title = {{Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019}},
year = {2020},
howpublished = {Data set},
url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt},
urldate = {2026-10-12},
note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest\%20Region/mw2019a.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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation: Cities in Illinois by single-family housing units authorized by building permits, 2019
PY - 2020
DA - 2020/05/01
PB - U.S. Census Bureau
DB - Invokely
UR - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt
L2 - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019
Y2 - 2026/10/12
N1 - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2019.
N1 - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2019a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER -
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 single-family housing units authorized by building permits using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"building_permit_single_family_units","level":"municipality","within":"Illinois","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=building_permit_single_family_units&level=municipality&within=Illinois&limit=10Questions
Which city has the highest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?
Chicago, IL, with 410 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Which city has the lowest single-family housing units authorized by building permits?
Zion, IL, with 0 in 2019.
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 in 1-unit structures authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 cities have no value for 2019 and are not ranked.