Ranking Chicago's most popular home styles

When you think of Chicago architecture, you probably think of the iconic Chicago skyline, the Tribune Tower, or the buildings up and down Michigan Avenue or Lake Shore Drive. But there is so much more to know about than skyscrapers in downtown Chicago—the neighborhoods are full of unique home styles that you won't find anywhere else.

As an agent who has toured thousands of homes from Bronzeville to Bucktown and beyond, I'd like to share our ranking of the most common building types in our great city.

1. Victorian Queen Anne

The Victorian Queen Anne easily slides into our top spot. I have a soft spot for ornate details and structures you don't see very often in the city, like columns and spires. Usually, you see many of these Victorian properties on corner lots because they prioritize bringing in natural light, which is how these are built. I also love having a front porch. Usually, you'll find a front and side wraparound porch on a home like this — big fan of 'em. I don't think you can get anything more classic than a spire. Seriously, who doesn't want to have a spire on their house?

2. Chicago Greyston

If you're a real estate person in the city and you see a Chicago Greystone, you immediately put that at or near the top of your favorites list. If you choose 10 real estate agents or 10 real estate investors here in Chicago, nine of them have a dream of converting a classic Chicago Greystone into a single family. Many of these are in neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, and Logan Square. It's the top echelon of what real estate people want to do because they are so iconic in the city and, simply put, gorgeous.

3. American Foursquare

The American Foursquare is also landing very high on our list. Why? In Chicago neighborhoods, you primarily see these on wider lots. You have a square layout, and you get better living space. We're so used to having these long, narrow buildings in Chicago, so these are rare. Like many things, the rarer they are, the more valuable, so we rank these accordingly.

4. Chicago Bungalow

Across the city, from the South side to the North side, this is probably the most common style of home that you'll see in Chicago neighborhoods. They are everywhere, and people love them and want to live in them for a reason. Many buyers and I appreciate that they usually have one key notable feature: a huge bay area in the front living room that opens up. They were also one of the first building types to have a side entrance, unlike most Chicago building types.

5. Modernist Ranch

Moving on, we have the modernist ranch. I love these. The modernist ranch was made famous by Frank Lloyd Wright. From a visual perspective, they're both gorgeous and unique. One downside is that many homes like this are built on a smaller scale — doorways narrower, kitchens smaller, etc. They were so focused on the way things looked and having clean lines, and it's very apparent when you look more closely at the architecture. Many of the new construction you see today borrow elements from this.

6. Workers Cottage

The workers' cottage is a very historic architectural style in Chicago neighborhoods. They built them in droves to support the working class in the city, so there are a ton of them, and they are very traditional homes. You see them all the time — the classic homes that you see that dormer out on the top floor, so they extend the pitch roof line to get more space.

By definition, if you must put an addition on any particular style, that means it wasn't adequate. It may have worked in the 1930s and 1940s for these workmen, but it doesn't always work now. I still think they're cool because they have a great history, but you need to enhance them to make them work for the average person today.

7. Cape Cod

Next up, we have the Cape Cod-style home. I am not a fan of their little dormers — they remind me of little spy houses, and they're primarily for looks, not function. The second floors are always too narrow. You don't have a lot of room to position beds and other furniture. They're very attractive but still land near the bottom of my list.

8. Prairie-Style Home

Next up, we have the prairie-style home. These feel very institutional to me. When I see them, they make me think of a police station, a firehouse, or a municipal building, not the people living inside a cozy home. They don't have amazing windows or layouts — the design typically focuses on the interplay of the exterior look and the interior flow. You won't find them all over the place because they're unique here in the city. So when people walk into a more interesting layout, something that they haven't seen in a long time, they get excited just because it is a little bit rare. Frankly, I think they miss the mark.

9. Stucco Bungalow

I'll be honest here— I hate stucco. It expands and contracts with the heat and cold, and we get large swings in Chicago. It's also been out of favor in the last 50 years, so it's hard to get quality work. It's one of those things that feels like a sign of the age of a home. People don't choose to build with stucco often at all in this city, so if you see a stucco home, for me, it just triggers issues, issues, and more issues.

10. Split Level

My least favorite...the split level. You're asking the main level to do too much here. You also typically have shallow basements. I don't have much to say about them because there isn't much to describe.

Agree? Disagree? Think I have it all wrong? Watch my YouTube video discussing the rankings and leave a comment.

Ben Lalez is a certified Real Estate Negotiation Expert and authority on all things Chicago real estate. He uses his background in construction and 12 years of market experience to help people with all sorts of real estate needs. Follow Ben on Instagram for more Chicago real estate insights or email him questions here.