McHenry receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
McHenry
Waukegan
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs44 · Bottom 23%
Growth
47 · Bottom 44%
vs34 · Bottom 24%
Climate
60 · Bottom 15%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
74 · Top 32%
vs80 · Top 23%
Housing affordability
91 · Top 30%
vs95 · Top 19%
Schools
47 · Bottom 44%
vs24 · Bottom 16%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
81 · Top 5%
vs61 · Top 49%
Measured values
| Metric | McHenry | Waukegan | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,074 | 89,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,315 | $71,919 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,734 | $33,249 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,893/sq mi | 3,672/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $266,500 | $190,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,553 | $1,205 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.4% | 50.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.0% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.7% | 20.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.7% | 15.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 79 | 13 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -68.4% | 85.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.3" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 32 mi | 27 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.0 min | 28.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.9 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.26 | 12.61 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 18.0% | 8.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 25.0% | 13.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 39.0% | 69.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: McHenry, IL · Waukegan, IL · How this is calculated: methodology