Crystal Lake vs McHenry
Crystal Lake, Illinois versus McHenry, Illinois: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Crystal Lake and McHenry score about the same overall (46 vs 45 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Crystal Lake | McHenry |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $103k | $84k |
| Cost of Living | $61k | $61k |
| Home Value | $271k | $227k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.74% | 2.77% |
| Income Tax | 5.00% | 5.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.86% | 8.86% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 15.14% | 15.44% |
| Unemployment | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 25°F | 24°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.4 in | 37.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 35.1 in | 34.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 245 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 63°F |
| Comfortable Days | 95 days | 92 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.1 | 70.3 |
| Air Quality | 53 AQI | 51 AQI |
| School Quality | 93.1 | 80.8 |
| Violent Crime | 770/100k | 572/100k |
| Property Crime | 569/100k | 735/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 40,463 | 27,493 |
| Median Age | 39.9 | 43.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.21 | 0.22 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.97 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | Even | Even |
| White (%) | 81.5% | 79.2% |
| Black (%) | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.5% | 16.2% |
| Asian (%) | 3.6% | 1.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 9.3/20 | 10.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 29 mi | 32 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.9% | 94.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 46.22 | 47.65 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Crystal Lake or McHenry more affordable?
- McHenry has the lower cost of living: its index is $61k, compared with Crystal Lake's $61k and McHenry's $61k. Median rent is $1k in Crystal Lake versus $1k in McHenry.
- Is Crystal Lake or McHenry safer?
- McHenry has the lower violent crime rate. Crystal Lake reports 770/100k and McHenry reports 572/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Crystal Lake or McHenry?
- The median home value is $271k in Crystal Lake and $227k in McHenry, so homes are more affordable in McHenry.