Construction of both residential and commercial green buildings is increasing around the country, with developers, builders and buyers alike attracted by lower construction costs and energy savings. Real estate agents also are familiar with one of the biggest benefits of green construction — the buildings sell faster and at a higher price than non-green buildings.

Of course, some cities have taken more of a shine to green building than others, as outlined by a recent report from ABODO. For the study, the apartment finder app looked at the square footage of cities’ projects that are LEED-certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Chicagoland area is tops for average square footage of residential LEED projects, with the average green project having 131,689 square feet. Illinois as a whole also shows a commitment to green projects, with the highest average square footage for LEED projects in the country, clocking in at 109,052.

“Despite the fact that some of the greenest cities are actually the country’s older cities, these larger metro areas are still innovating with the best of them,” said Sam Radbil, senior communications director at ABODO. “Rather than falling behind with outdated infrastructure, leaders in the top-ranking cities have chosen to implement high-performance building guidelines and have renovated several buildings for greater efficiency. Although our study didn’t look at the portion of renovations versus new constructions, it’s clear that cities like Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia and San Francisco are and consistently have been progress-focused cities.”

The USGBC’s LEED program currently accounts for more than 5.77 billion square feet of development around the world around certifies 2.2 million square feet every day. Thirteen billion more square feet are currently under construction. In Chicagoland, there are currently 680 LEED projects, accounting for .071 per person, according to ABODO.

Source: ABODO