Lake County vs McHenry County
A side-by-side comparison of Lake County and McHenry County: population, income, housing, and more.
Lake County and McHenry County are counties in Illinois. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Lake County has the higher population (711,885 vs 311,366 in McHenry County). Lake County has the higher median household income ($108,917 vs $102,836 in McHenry County). Lake County has the higher median home value ($326,600 vs $286,900 in McHenry County).
Population, income & housing
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 711,885 | 311,366 |
| Median age | 38.9 yrs | 40.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $108,917 | $102,836 |
| Median home value | $326,600 | $286,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,434 | $1,358 |
| Housing units | 270,083 | 120,605 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.4% | 82.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.0% | 35.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 701,473 → 711,885 (+1.5%) | 307,714 → 311,366 (+1.2%) |
| Median household income | $89,427 → $108,917 (+21.8%) | $86,799 → $102,836 (+18.5%) |
| Median home value | $265,100 → $326,600 (+23.2%) | $224,500 → $286,900 (+27.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,197 → $1,434 (+19.8%) | $1,197 → $1,358 (+13.5%) |
Lake County
701,473711,885
$89,427$108,917
$265,100$326,600
$1,197$1,434
McHenry County
307,714311,366
$86,799$102,836
$224,500$286,900
$1,197$1,358
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.4% | 5.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.2% | 17.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.2% | 8.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 13.1% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.5% | 14.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 9.9% |
| 75 and over | 6.0% | 6.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 57.1% | 76.9% |
| Black or African American | 6.3% | 1.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Asian | 8.4% | 2.8% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Two or more races | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 24.4% | 15.6% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.4% | 6.3% |
| High school graduate | 19.7% | 26.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 24.0% | 31.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 27.4% | 23.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 19.5% | 11.9% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 68.0% | 74.9% |
| Carpooled | 8.4% | 7.1% |
| Public transit | 2.8% | 1.4% |
| Walked | 2.0% | 1.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Worked from home | 17.3% | 14.7% |
| Other means | 1.4% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 66.4% | 77.4% |
| 1-unit, attached | 10.4% | 10.6% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.8% | 3.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 8.1% | 5.5% |
| 20 or more units | 7.7% | 2.2% |
| Mobile home & other | 1.7% | 0.7% |
Poverty & households
| Lake County | McHenry County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 6.1% |
| Average household size | 2.70 | 2.66 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 29 | 31 |
| Median year structure built | 1982 | 1989 |
Full profiles
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