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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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PLACEThriving

Mchenry, IL

Thriving overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score68out of 100
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71
54
76
70
83

Population

28,074

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+4.6% YoY

71

$16.0B

Output changed +4.6% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth4.3%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

54

4.5%

Unemployment is 4.5% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

+4.4% 5-year

76

28,074

Population moved +4.4% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population12,694,798
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

70

21.6%

Median rent consumes 21.6% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.3K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$6.0K per resident

83

$1.9B

$1.9B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$134.6B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$1.9B

$6.0K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$1.6B
2. Department of Veterans Affairs$135.5M
3. Department of Transportation$37.3M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$37.5M
2. REDACTED DUE TO PII$9.9M
3. PROALLIANCE CORP$9.5M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

21.6%

of median income

1BR estimate$1,273
2BR estimate$1,677
Median income$86,315
Median home value$266,500

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

28,074

Median age

43.9

Bachelor's degree+

25.7%

Poverty rate

4.7%

Labor force participation

70.0%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.9%

GDP CAGR

+6.3%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
202026,889
202127,237
202227,493
202327,774
202428,074
GDP (5 years)
2020$11.8B
2021$13.3B
2022$14.4B
2023$15.3B
2024$16.0B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

202428,074
202528,366 *
202628,656 *

R² = 99.8% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$16.0B
2025$17.3B *
2026$18.3B *

R² = 97.9% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$86,315/yr
Median rent$1,553/mo
Rent share of income21.6%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$16,171/yr
Mortgage share of income18.7%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.5%
State avg5.1%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation70.0%
Poverty rate4.7%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$266,500
Median monthly rent$1,553
Price-to-rent ratio14.3x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateStrong
Composite score67/100
Economic growth71/100
Labor market54/100
Population momentum76/100
Overall stability68/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

McHenry city, Illinois

City/Town

Part of

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Nearby locations

McCullom Lake, ILBull Valley, ILJohnsburg, ILHoliday Hills, ILRingwood, IL