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 2021, at 414. Zion, IL had the lowest, at 0. The median was 10. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest414Chicago, IL

Lowest0Zion, IL

Median10223 cities

Top 40 cities, 2021

count. Source: 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.

Full ranking

Rank	Cities	2021 count	Change on 2020
1	Chicago, IL Estimated	414	+66.9%
2	Yorkville, IL Estimated	403	+30.8%
3	Plainfield, IL Estimated	356	+39.1%
4	Naperville, IL Estimated	276	-13.5%
5	Joliet, IL Estimated	221	-7.9%
6	Orland Park, IL Estimated	174	+411.8%
7	Elgin, IL Estimated	167	+9.2%
8	Huntley, IL Estimated	143	+64.4%
8	Pingree Grove, IL Estimated	143	-5.3%
10	Springfield, IL Estimated	137	+124.6%
11	New Lenox, IL Estimated	134	+2.3%
12	Frankfort, IL Estimated	132	+33.3%
13	Warrenville, IL Estimated	128	+287.9%
14	Manhattan, IL Estimated	118	+4.4%
14	Oswego, IL Estimated	118	+12.4%
16	O'Fallon, IL Estimated	116	+7.4%
17	Mundelein, IL Estimated	112	+62.3%
18	South Elgin, IL Estimated	111	+23.3%
19	Algonquin, IL Estimated	105	+262.1%
20	McHenry, IL Estimated	104	+6.1%
21	Crystal Lake, IL Estimated	103	+24.1%
22	Shiloh, IL Estimated	102	+4.1%
23	Elmhurst, IL Estimated	97	+49.2%
24	Bloomington, IL Estimated	95	+50.8%
24	Channahon, IL Estimated	95	-20.2%
26	Lemont, IL Estimated	92	+64.3%
27	Plano, IL Estimated	91	+24.7%
28	Troy, IL Estimated	79	+17.9%
29	Lockport, IL Estimated	77	+92.5%
30	Vernon Hills, IL Estimated	73	+121.2%
31	Buffalo Grove, IL Estimated	72	+84.6%
32	Shorewood, IL Estimated	70	+11.1%
33	Mahomet, IL Estimated	69	-25%
34	Geneva, IL Estimated	68	+183.3%
34	Normal, IL Estimated	68	+4.6%
34	Quincy, IL Estimated	68	+9.7%
37	North Aurora, IL Estimated	65	+18.2%
37	Woodstock, IL Estimated	65	+14%
39	Bolingbrook, IL Estimated	63	+3.3%
40	Glenview, IL Estimated	62	+34.8%
41	Belvidere, IL Estimated	61	+916.7%
42	Homer Glen, IL Estimated	58	+11.5%
42	Montgomery, IL Estimated	58	-38.9%
42	Urbana, IL Estimated	58	+163.6%
45	Loves Park, IL Estimated	56	+36.6%
46	Aurora, IL Estimated	55	-39.6%
46	Champaign, IL Estimated	55	-5.2%
48	Bourbonnais, IL Estimated	54	+116%
49	Waterloo, IL Estimated	52	+2%
50	Cary, IL Estimated	51	+218.8%
50	Peoria, IL Estimated	51	+45.7%
52	Hinsdale, IL Estimated	49	+53.1%
52	Northbrook, IL Estimated	49	+11.4%
54	Rock Island, IL Estimated	47	+2,250%
55	Sycamore, IL Estimated	46	+9.5%
56	Chatham, IL Estimated	43	+34.4%
56	Downers Grove, IL Estimated	43	+22.9%
56	Edwardsville, IL Estimated	43	+22.9%
59	Marion, IL Estimated	41	+70.8%
59	Western Springs, IL Estimated	41	+105%
61	Lindenhurst, IL Estimated	39	+1,850%
62	Glen Carbon, IL Estimated	38	-15.6%
62	Swansea, IL Estimated	38	+137.5%
64	Mokena, IL Estimated	37	+5.7%
65	Addison, IL Estimated	35	+45.8%
66	Bradley, IL Estimated	34	+88.9%
66	Machesney Park, IL Estimated	34	+1,033.3%
68	Bloomingdale, IL Estimated	33	0%
68	Lake Forest, IL Estimated	33	+57.1%
68	Ottawa, IL Estimated	33	+26.9%
71	La Grange, IL Estimated	31	+106.7%
71	Lake Zurich, IL Estimated	31	+342.9%
73	Arlington Heights, IL Estimated	29	-31%
74	Belleville, IL Estimated	28	-34.9%
74	Highland Park, IL Estimated	28	+7.7%
76	Highland, IL Estimated	25	-3.8%
76	St. Charles, IL Estimated	25	-30.6%
76	Woodridge, IL Estimated	25	+8.7%
79	Antioch, IL Estimated	24	-41.5%
79	Bartlett, IL Estimated	24	+84.6%
79	Morris, IL Estimated	24	-50%
79	Park Ridge, IL Estimated	24	+20%
79	Wheaton, IL Estimated	24	-38.5%
84	Winnetka, IL Estimated	23	+21.1%
85	Columbia, IL Estimated	21	+40%
85	Wilmette, IL Estimated	21	-12.5%
87	Godfrey, IL Estimated	20	-45.9%
87	Roselle, IL Estimated	20	+150%
89	Taylorville, IL Estimated	19	n/a
90	Glen Ellyn, IL Estimated	18	-5.3%
91	Moline, IL Estimated	17	+13.3%
92	Effingham, IL Estimated	15	-11.8%
92	Fairview Heights, IL Estimated	15	+275%
92	Minooka, IL Estimated	15	+25%
95	Burr Ridge, IL Estimated	14	-62.2%
95	Rockford, IL Estimated	14	+16.7%
97	Oak Lawn, IL Estimated	13	-23.5%
98	Campton Hills, IL Estimated	12	-25%
98	Schaumburg, IL Estimated	12	+500%
98	Skokie, IL Estimated	12	-29.4%
101	Berwyn, IL Estimated	11	+120%
101	Burbank, IL Estimated	11	-8.3%
101	Evanston, IL Estimated	11	+120%
101	Rolling Meadows, IL Estimated	11	-8.3%
101	Washington, IL Estimated	11	-35.3%
101	Wood River, IL Estimated	11	-54.2%
107	Deerfield, IL Estimated	10	+11.1%
107	Des Plaines, IL Estimated	10	-75%
107	Herrin, IL Estimated	10	-33.3%
107	Libertyville, IL Estimated	10	-54.5%
107	Lombard, IL Estimated	10	-33.3%
107	Morton, IL Estimated	10	-37.5%
107	Tinley Park, IL Estimated	10	-28.6%
114	Batavia, IL Estimated	9	-62.5%
114	DeKalb, IL Estimated	9	+50%
114	Midlothian, IL Estimated	9	+200%
114	Romeoville, IL Estimated	9	-78.6%
114	Villa Park, IL Estimated	9	+80%
119	Mount Vernon, IL Estimated	8	+166.7%
120	Mount Prospect, IL Estimated	7	+133.3%
120	Wood Dale, IL Estimated	7	+133.3%
120	Worth, IL Estimated	7	+133.3%
123	Decatur, IL Estimated	6	n/a
123	Dixon, IL Estimated	6	-57.1%
123	East Peoria, IL Estimated	6	+20%
123	Elk Grove Village, IL Estimated	6	-33.3%
123	Matteson, IL Estimated	6	n/a
123	Palatine, IL Estimated	6	-14.3%
123	Pekin, IL Estimated	6	-25%
130	Centralia, IL Estimated	5	+25%
130	Crestwood, IL Estimated	5	+150%
130	Evergreen Park, IL Estimated	5	-16.7%
130	La Grange Park, IL Estimated	5	+25%
130	Palos Hills, IL Estimated	5	-28.6%
130	River Forest, IL Estimated	5	-37.5%
136	Barrington, IL Estimated	4	0%
136	Blue Island, IL Estimated	4	+100%
136	Carbondale, IL Estimated	4	0%
136	Collinsville, IL Estimated	4	-33.3%
136	Crest Hill, IL Estimated	4	+100%
136	Elmwood Park, IL Estimated	4	+100%
136	Freeport, IL Estimated	4	n/a
136	Granite City, IL Estimated	4	-33.3%
136	Lincolnwood, IL Estimated	4	+100%
136	Norridge, IL Estimated	4	n/a
136	North Chicago, IL Estimated	4	-33.3%
136	Prospect Heights, IL Estimated	4	-33.3%
148	Canton, IL Estimated	3	+50%
148	Charleston, IL Estimated	3	+200%
148	East Moline, IL Estimated	3	0%
148	Forest Park, IL Estimated	3	+200%
148	Justice, IL Estimated	3	-62.5%
148	Lincoln, IL Estimated	3	-40%
148	Lisle, IL Estimated	3	-40%
148	Niles, IL Estimated	3	n/a
148	Waukegan, IL Estimated	3	+50%
148	Westmont, IL Estimated	3	-80%
148	Wheeling, IL Estimated	3	n/a
159	Chicago Ridge, IL Estimated	2	n/a
159	Hickory Hills, IL Estimated	2	-60%
159	Homewood, IL Estimated	2	+100%
159	Macomb, IL Estimated	2	+100%
159	Melrose Park, IL Estimated	2	n/a
159	Northlake, IL Estimated	2	0%
159	Pontiac, IL Estimated	2	+100%
159	Rantoul, IL Estimated	2	+100%
159	Schiller Park, IL Estimated	2	0%
159	Wauconda, IL Estimated	2	-50%
159	West Chicago, IL Estimated	2	+100%
170	Beach Park, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Carpentersville, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
170	Chicago Heights, IL Estimated	1	0%
170	Cicero, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
170	Galesburg, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Glendale Heights, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Grayslake, IL Estimated	1	-50%
170	Gurnee, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
170	Hoffman Estates, IL Estimated	1	-75%
170	Lake in the Hills, IL Estimated	1	-50%
170	Markham, IL Estimated	1	-66.7%
170	Morton Grove, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Oak Forest, IL Estimated	1	0%
170	Oak Park, IL Estimated	1	0%
170	Palos Heights, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Sterling, IL Estimated	1	n/a
170	Streator, IL Estimated	1	-50%
170	Winfield, IL Estimated	1	-88.9%
188	Alsip, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Alton, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Bellwood, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Bensenville, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Bridgeview, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Brookfield, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Calumet City, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Carol Stream, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Country Club Hills, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Danville, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Darien, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Dolton, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	East St. Louis, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Fox Lake, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Franklin Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Hanover Park, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Harvey, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Hazel Crest, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Jacksonville, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Kankakee, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Kewanee, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Lansing, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Lyons, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Mattoon, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Maywood, 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 Beach, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Round Lake, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	South Holland, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Streamwood, IL Estimated	0	-100%
188	Summit, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Westchester, IL Estimated	0	n/a
188	Zion, IL Estimated	0	n/a

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 2021 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/mw2021a.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. (2022). 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, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.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, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 27 Apr. 2022, https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.txt. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2022. 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, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.txt. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2022) 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, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.txt, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  year = {2022},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.txt},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021. 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/mw2021a.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, 2021
PY  - 2022
DA  - 2022/04/27
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/Midwest%20Region/mw2021a.txt
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/single-family-building-permits/illinois-cities?period=2021.
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/mw2021a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -

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Questions

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

Chicago, IL, with 414 in 2021, 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 2021.

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 2021 and are not ranked.