McHenry County, Illinois

IL · FIPS 17111 Republican

Located in Illinois, McHenry County has a population of 312,591 residents and a median age of 40.7 years, making it the #233 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.2%. The median home value is $308,100, and the median household income is $104,802, which is 39% above the national median.

312,591
Population
#233 of 3,222
$104,802
Median Income
+39.5% #124 of 3,222
40.7 years
Median Age
+4.6% #1,888 of 3,222
6.2%
Poverty Rate
-50.6% #130 of 3,222

Demographics

McHenry County has a population of 312,591, making it the #233 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.1%
Native Born
9.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in McHenry County is $104,802, ranking #124 out of 3,222 counties — 39.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.2% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#124
$104,802
+39.5%
vs nation
96th percentile
Per Capita#234
$49,388
+19.7%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poverty#130
6.2%
-50.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Unemployment#1,792
4.7%
-11.6%
vs nation
44th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in McHenry County is $308,100 (+9.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,401/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.7%.

Home Value#585
$308,100
+9.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Rent#315
$1,401
+20.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Homeownership#277
82.7%
+28.4%
vs nation
91th percentile

Household Type

Education

In McHenry County, 35.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.5% above the national average, ranking #456 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
35.2% +4.5% vs nation
Rank #456 of 3,222
86th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in McHenry County is 79.5 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#297
79.5
+5.7%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#527
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#563
9.1%
-18.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#204
31.0%
-16.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#151
4.6
-18.6%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#279
3.6
-19.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Uninsured Rate#424
5.9%
-43.6%
vs nation
87th percentile
Physical Inactivity#318
20.1%
-23.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Food Insecurity#163
9.2%
-36.1%
vs nation
95th percentile

Substance Use

13.4% of adults in McHenry County smoke , 34.2% are obese , and 22.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#344
13.4%
-25.4%
vs nation
89th percentile
Adult Obesity#591
34.2%
-9.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,439
22.2%
+11.9%
vs nation
22th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#474
18.6
-42.4%
vs nation
78th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in McHenry County is 1.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 10.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 8.4 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#8
1.0
-87.9%
vs nation
100th percentile
Suicide Rate#165
10.8
-45.1%
vs nation
94th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#51
5.0
-71.7%
vs nation
98th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#213
8.4
-58.4%
vs nation
93th percentile

Families & Children

7.6% of children in McHenry County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 6.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#116
4.1
-39.3%
vs nation
92th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#150
6.4
-70.6%
vs nation
95th percentile
Child Poverty#120
7.6%
-60.0%
vs nation
96th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in McHenry County is 73.4%. The mean commute time is 33.3 min, which is 20.7% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.3 min +20.7% vs nation
Rank #445 of 3,222
86th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, McHenry County voted Republican with a margin of 5.3%. The vote was 46.6% Dem / 51.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +5.3%
46.6% 51.9%
Dem 161,699 votes Rep
2020 REP +2.5%
47.5% 50%
Dem 164,578 votes Rep
2016 REP +8.0%
42.7% 50.7%
Dem 140,145 votes Rep
2012 REP +8.8%
44.7% 53.5%
Dem 133,589 votes Rep
2008 DEM +5.3%
51.9% 46.6%
Dem 139,268 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About McHenry County, Illinois

McHenry County, Illinois has a total population of 312,591, making it the 233rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in McHenry County is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in McHenry County is $104,802, which ranks #124 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in McHenry County is $308,100, 9.3% above the national median. Renters in McHenry County pay a median gross rent of $1,401 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In McHenry County, 35.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.3 min.

McHenry County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 76.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (16.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).

All data for McHenry County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.