Plano and McHenry receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Plano
McHenry
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 32%
vs47 · Bottom 31%
Growth
37 · Bottom 27%
vs47 · Bottom 44%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs60 · Bottom 15%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs74 · Top 32%
Housing affordability
88 · Top 37%
vs91 · Top 30%
Access
80 · Bottom 22%
vs83 · Bottom 26%
Economic stability
74 · Top 20%
vs81 · Top 5%
Measured values
| Metric | Plano | McHenry | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,203 | 28,074 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $86,271 | $86,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,274 | $45,734 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,359/sq mi | 1,893/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $230,700 | $266,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,686 | $1,553 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 70.3% | 74.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.9% | -3.0% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.9% | 25.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.2% | 4.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4 | 79 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 2.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 35.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 38 mi | 32 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.5 min | 31.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.6 | 43.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 9 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.32 | 13.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.2% | 39.0% | 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: Plano, IL · McHenry, IL · How this is calculated: methodology