What it's like to live in McHenry
McHenry is a small city in Illinois with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, 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. McHenry deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold, harsh winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How McHenry compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to McHenry
Based on McHenry's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,106
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $62,120 a year
- 49% of McHenry renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,650
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,553/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,553 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 $266,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $266,500 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 91% below US
31 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 510/100k · McHenry Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29 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; 14% 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
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 29% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 (57 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
McHenry's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($1,553/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near McHenry
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