McHenry County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
McHenry County, Illinois had an estimated 315,959 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 310,289, across 603 square miles. County output reached $15.98 bn in 2024, 8,140 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 432 7(a) approvals worth $258.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
McHenry County
How many people live in McHenry County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024312,591
- Households117,594
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$104,802
- Median age40.7
- Median gross rent$1,401 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$308,100
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over216,281
- Population under 1871,089
- Share under 1822.7 percent
- Population 65 and over51,512
- Share 65 and over16.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64189,990
- Civilian labor force174,633
- Unemployment rate4.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over72.3 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties6th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included233rd of 3,222
McHenry County is the 6th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.7 percent against 16.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McHenry County
Is McHenry County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024315,959
- Census 2020 base population310,289
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,524
- Births, 20243,112
- Deaths, 20242,456
- Natural change, 2024656
- Net domestic migration, 20241,297
- Net international migration, 2024583
- Total net migration, 20241,880
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,383
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1225th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.83 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
McHenry County
Where are people moving to McHenry County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving8,519
- People arriving, from those returns15,037
- Tax returns filed by households leaving8,465
- Net household movement54
- Adjusted gross income arriving$683.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-54.5 m
- Average income of an arriving household$80,258
- Average income of a leaving household$87,203
- Largest single originCook County (2,601 households)
- Largest single destinationCook County (1,431 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 2,601 | 4,766 | $218.5 m |
| Lake County | 1,439 | 2,553 | $108.7 m |
| Kane County | 1,318 | 2,385 | $94.8 m |
| DuPage County | 466 | 841 | $55.2 m |
| Walworth County | 148 | 251 | $-231.2 m |
| Winnebago County | 119 | 186 | $9.9 m |
| Boone County | 103 | 178 | $6.1 m |
| Kenosha County | 88 | 134 | $5.8 m |
Households arriving report $6,945 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Cook County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
McHenry County
What is the McHenry County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$15.98 bn
- County GDP, 2023$15.28 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years35.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Illinois areas BEA publishes11th of 102
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes314th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$51,130
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 35.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
McHenry County
Employment by industry in McHenry County
- Covered employment, annual average96,922
- Establishments reporting7,928
- Average annual pay$55,107
- Average weekly wage$1,060
- Retail trade, employment13,102
- Retail trade, average annual pay$35,666
- Manufacturing, employment12,350
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$71,872
- Health care and social assistance, employment11,933
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$48,485
- Accommodation and food services, employment9,563
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$24,369
- Construction, employment7,470
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment6,080
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 13,102 | 762 | $35,666 |
| Manufacturing | 12,350 | 516 | $71,872 |
| Health care and social assistance | 11,933 | 681 | $48,485 |
| Accommodation and food services | 9,563 | 612 | $24,369 |
| Construction | 7,470 | 1,143 | $86,235 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 6,080 | 584 | $47,999 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,655 | 400 | $82,022 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 3,921 | 862 | $73,622 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 13,102 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McHenry County
How many businesses are in McHenry County?
- Establishments, all industries8,140
- Employment at those establishments87,684
- Annual payroll$4.81 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
McHenry County
Building permits in McHenry County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,565
- Declared construction value permitted$318.3 m
- Single family units authorized887
- Multifamily units authorized678
- Multifamily share of units43.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$203,415
- Units authorized per 1,000 households13.3
Multifamily is 43.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McHenry County
SBA loans in McHenry County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded432
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$258.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$598,652
- Median 7(a) approval$225,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,500,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,200
- Jobs per approval12.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active66
- Distinct industries receiving approvals143
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms72
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter335
- Franchise loans55
- Franchise share of approvals12.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (39)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (116)
- 504 approvals recorded229
- 504 gross approval dollars$151.8 m
- Average 504 approval$663,039
- Median 504 approval$412,000
- Distinct CDCs active7
- 504 jobs per approval10.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.5
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$410.5 m
The average approval of $598,652 sits well above the median of $225,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 16.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McHenry County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in McHenry County
Do SBA loans in McHenry County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded92
- Paid in full79
- Charged off13
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans14.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full79
- Status: Exempt from disclosure266
- Status: Cancelled57
- Status: Charged off13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed17
Of the 92 loans that have reached a final outcome, 14.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McHenry County
SBA lending by place in McHenry County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending32
- Algonquin, approvals84
- Crystal Lake, approvals80
- McHenry, approvals58
- Woodstock, approvals38
- Lake in the Hills, approvals34
- Cary, approvals26
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Algonquin | 84 | $34,034,800 |
| Crystal Lake | 80 | $44,338,600 |
| McHenry | 58 | $34,814,600 |
| Woodstock | 38 | $26,261,600 |
| Lake in the Hills | 34 | $28,542,100 |
| Cary | 26 | $10,778,500 |
| Huntley | 20 | $12,780,800 |
| Harvard | 16 | $19,491,600 |
| 24 other borrower cities | 76 | $47,575,200 |
Algonquin accounts for 84 approvals against 80 in Crystal Lake. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McHenry County
How large is McHenry County?
- Land area603 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties34th of 102
- Width, east to west26 mi
- Height, north to south23.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land518
- Establishments per square mile13.50
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
McHenry County
Flood risk in McHenry County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community McHenry County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 170732
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 6
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book31
- Of those, participating in the NFIP30
- NFIP participation rate96.8 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class6
- Radon levels in McHenry County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated McHenry County (community 170732), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 6, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places McHenry County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 96.8 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a McHenry County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a McHenry County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024312,591
- Households117,594
- Average household size2.66
- Median household income$104,802
- Median age40.7
Common questions
McHenry County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McHenry County, Illinois?
The Census Bureau estimates 315,959 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 312,591, in 117,594 households, ranking 6th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McHenry County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 310,289, to 315,959 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,112 births against 2,456 deaths, with net migration of 1,880. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McHenry County?
$104,802. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $308,100, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,401 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in McHenry County?
8,140 establishments, employing 87,684 people with an annual payroll of $4.81 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in McHenry County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 13,102 jobs, 13.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 96,922 jobs at an average annual pay of $55,107, or $1,060 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McHenry County?
432 7(a) approvals totaling $258.6 m since FY2020, across 66 lenders, with a median approval of $225,000, plus 229 504 approvals worth $151.8 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in McHenry County get paid back?
Of the 92 loans that have reached a final outcome, 79 were paid in full and 13 charged off, a charge-off rate of 14.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in McHenry County?
1,565 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $318.3 m. Multifamily was 43.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McHenry County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to McHenry County come from?
The largest single origin is Cook County, with 2,601 households. Arriving households report an average income of $80,258 against $87,203 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McHenry County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for McHenry County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
McHenry County
Cities and places in McHenry.
43 Census places lie wholly or partly in McHenry County. 38 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake | city | 40,579 | 80 | Wholly in this county |
| Algonquin | village | 30,067 | 84 | 75.3 percent here, 24.7 percent Kane County |
| Lake in the Hills | village | 28,800 | 34 | Wholly in this county |
| McHenry | city | 28,074 | 58 | Wholly in this county |
| Huntley | village | 28,005 | 20 | 57.4 percent here, 42.6 percent Kane County |
| Woodstock | city | 26,147 | 38 | Wholly in this county |
| Cary | village | 17,923 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| Fox Lake | village | 11,131 | 1 | 24.7 percent here, 75.3 percent Lake County |
| Harvard | city | 9,598 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Island Lake | village | 8,014 | 2 | 55.0 percent here, 45.0 percent Lake County |
| Marengo | city | 7,040 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakemoor | village | 6,467 | 1 | 61.7 percent here, 38.3 percent Lake County |
| Johnsburg | village | 6,386 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Spring Grove | village | 5,917 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Lakewood | village | 4,707 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Fox River Grove | village | 4,523 | 6 | 89.3 percent here, 10.7 percent Lake County |
| Wonder Lake | village | 4,292 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Barrington Hills | village | 3,879 | None recorded | 18.6 percent here, 63.9 percent Cook County, 11.6 percent Lake County, 5.9 percent Kane County |
| Pistakee Highlands | CDP | 3,374 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Richmond | village | 2,622 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Oakwood Hills | village | 2,416 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Prairie Grove | village | 2,165 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Port Barrington | village | 1,477 | None recorded | 44.9 percent here, 55.1 percent Lake County |
| Bull Valley | village | 1,269 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hebron | village | 1,261 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| McCullom Lake | village | 1,017 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ringwood | village | 730 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Holiday Hills | village | 634 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Union | village | 624 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Trout Valley | village | 574 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Greenwood | village | 502 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lawrence | CDP | 358 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chemung | CDP | 239 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ridgefield | CDP | 221 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Burtons Bridge | CDP | 134 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hartland | CDP | 105 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alden | CDP | 48 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Solon Mills | CDP | 38 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Big Foot Prairie | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Coral | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Franklinville | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Harmony | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Riley | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 16 of the county's 432 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in McHenry County, the largest being Village Of Lakewood (5), Belvidere (2), Algonguin (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.