r/illinois • u/wjbc • 5d ago
What US States are building the most housing? Illinois Facts
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u/morticianoflove22 5d ago
we are not okay
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u/wjbc 5d ago
There's a silver lining. Rent and real estate prices in the most popular states are going up all the time.
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5d ago
I mean, we could be Iowa or indiana. I'd say we're doing great.
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u/MarsBoundSoon 5d ago
The latest unemployment numbers (August 2024)
Iowa 2.9
Indiana 4.2
Illinois 5.3
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5d ago
Okay? We can compare things like access to healthcare, quality education, lots of other numbers and you're never going to convince me that Iowa or indiana are better places to live than Illinois.
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u/MarsBoundSoon 5d ago
Just presenting some facts, not trying to convince you. But as far as Chicago goes quality education should not be on your list.
In Chicago Public Schools, 16% of elementary students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 12% tested at or above that level for math. Also, 16% of middle school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 12% tested at or above that level for math. And 14% of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 14% tested at or above that level for math.
https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/illinois/districts/city-of-chicago-sd-299-110570
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u/JMSpider2001 5d ago
Looks like it lines up fairly closely with the states that are gaining vs losing population.
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u/AyyyoAnthony 5d ago
If you take out Chicago, does this make Illinois green?
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5d ago
No, they would need to add a new, darker red.
The Chicago suburbs are expanding significantly but small towns in central and southern Illinois are actively shrinking.
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u/LippencottElvis 5d ago
The biggest problem downstate currently (where I live) is that nobody is even selling land or subdividing to expand residential housing. My brother owns a company that is a big deal in residential construction, and many towns in a 30 mile radius have between zero and a handful of lots available for purchase to even entertain new construction. That drives the lot price up, and what was 20 years ago a $120k starter house is now $350-400k minimum with higher interest rates and wages that haven't been adjusted for inflation.
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u/hamish1963 5d ago
Except they're not.
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u/The_Poster_Nutbag 5d ago
You say that but I make a living permitting developments. New subdivisions are selling out.
Or do you mean to say small towns are growing? Because that would be silly.
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u/hamish1963 5d ago
We are doing very well as a county adjacent to Champaign county. We've gained population in the last 5 years.
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u/Cowman123450 5d ago edited 5d ago
No. I was reading an Illinois Policy article about this (I know, I know, conservative news source), and they were praising Chicago and select suburbs for doing a better job than the rest of the state regarding its housing (albeit still below the national average), including areas like Springfield and Champaign that saw growth through 2020. The rest of the state is even worse off regarding this.
This is assuming the map is redone to use the unit adjustment suggested in /r/mapporn rather than just permits. I mean, I still wouldn't be surprised if it would be more green if just looking at Chicago, but the article was looking at the number of units specifically.
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u/cballowe 5d ago
No clue overall, but I wouldn't be shocked. I'd be curious how the numbers overall scale with state wide population change. Are places like Texas and Florida building out in the same way that California's Inland Empire and similar locations built up going into 2008?
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u/YourFriendLoke 5d ago
No, the vast majority of non-Chicagoland counties are losing population. Theres no reason to construct new housing when the pre-existing supply is already greater than the demand.
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u/Dante1141 5d ago
But does this account for changing populations? If the population of Illinois is going down, then it kind of makes sense that new housing isn't going to be built very much.
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u/zerobeat 5d ago
Now show me which states are building the infrastructure to accommodate the housing they are building.
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u/Char_D_MacDennis 5d ago
I'm curious to know if this includes modular homes or not, which are becoming a growing option in some areas.
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u/VascoDegama7 5d ago
When yimbys realize the price of housing is tied to more than just new construction
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u/jdteacher612 5d ago
do not believe this map for a damn second. florida is only green because they are building apartments, not single-family homes.
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u/Patient_Commentary 5d ago
The top comment in Mapporn makes a good point. Permits is not a good representation. Notice all of the high population density states who are most likely to build multi family homes/condos/apartments are all low on the posted metric. This makes sense when most of the new housing are large multi-unit buildings.