Metro building permits · May 2026

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN Building Permits

Monthly residential building permits for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN metropolitan area — 956 units in May 2026, 16,225 over the last 12 months — latest month -51.3% vs. a year earlier. #17 nationally.

956
Units (latest month)
829
Single-family units
83
Multifamily (5+) units
$355,474,000
Reported value
Trailing 12 months: 16,225 units permitted · latest month -51.3% vs. a year earlier.
Total units permitted, by monthDec 2024May 2026
Dec 2024May 2026
Structure typeUnitsShare
Single-family (1-unit)82986.7%
2-unit structures121.3%
3–4 unit structures323.3%
Multifamily (5+ units)838.7%
All units956100%

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN building permits — FAQ

How many building permits were issued in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN metro area?+

956 new residential units were authorized in May 2026, and 16,225 over the trailing 12 months, per the Census Building Permits Survey.

Where does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN rank nationally?+

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN ranks #17 of 922 U.S. metro/micro areas by units permitted over the last 12 months.

What share is multifamily?+

13.3% of the metro's May 2026 permitted units were in multifamily (2+ unit) buildings.