What it's like to live in Cary
Cary is a small city in Illinois with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Cary deals with commute times longer than most cities, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, cold, harsh winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Cary compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cary
Based on Cary's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,856
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $57,120 a year
- 64% of Cary renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$61,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $30,980
- Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,428/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,428 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $309,800. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $309,800 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in McHenry County is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
McHenry County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 87% below US
44 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 354/100k · Cary Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 16°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 24% above US
45% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pullman National Historical Park (49 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Cary's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,428/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Cary
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