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Cary, IL
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
17,923
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
39.2
years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older
Diversity Index
35.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
9.1%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Cary is a village within McHenry County, Illinois, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC42.212144° N, 88.249627° W
DMS42° 12′ 43.72″ N, 88° 14′ 58.66″ W
Population Density & area
2,745/sq mi
(1,061/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
49.2%
male
Male
49.2%
Female
50.8%
males per 100 females
Cary
96.9
McHenry County
100.5
Illinois
97.7
Nativity
9.1%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Cary
9.1%
McHenry County
9.9%
Illinois
14.7%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
39.2
years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older
Dependency ratio
59.7
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Cary
59.7
McHenry County
64.5
Illinois
63.5
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 23.7% | 22.7% | 21.8% |
| Working age (18-64) | 62.6% | 60.8% | 61.2% |
| Senior (65+) | 13.7% | 16.5% | 17% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 59.7 | 64.5 | 63.5 |
| Child dependency ratio | 37.8 | 37.4 | 35.7 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 21.9 | 27.1 | 27.8 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
35.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Cary
35.3%
McHenry County
39.3%
Illinois
60.5%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Cary population
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.9% | 16.1% | 18.8% |
| Mexican | 8.6% | 12.6% | 14.4% |
| Puerto Rican | 2% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Cuban | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.5% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 87.1% | 83.9% | 81.2% |
| One race | 82.3% | 80.7% | 77.8% |
| White | 79.2% | 76.1% | 58.1% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 1.4% | 13.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 3% | 5.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0.6% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
73.9%
family
Family
73.9%
Non family
26.1%
% family households
Cary
73.9%
McHenry County
71.9%
Illinois
62.2%
Average household size
2.76
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Cary population
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 6,468 | 117,594 | 5,036,449 |
| Average houshold size | 2.76 | 2.64 | 2.46 |
| Family households | 4,783 | 84,562 | 3,130,978 |
| Average family size | 3.19 | 3.13 | 3.14 |
| Married couple family | 3,947 | 67,264 | 2,282,435 |
| Other families | 836 | 17,298 | 848,543 |
| Male householder | 218 | 5,803 | 248,521 |
| Female householder | 618 | 11,495 | 600,022 |
| Non-family households | 1,685 | 33,032 | 1,905,471 |
| One-person households | 1,198 | 26,662 | 1,569,881 |
| Male householder | 408 | 12,619 | 712,191 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 191 | 4,589 | 210,051 |
| Female householder | 790 | 14,043 | 857,690 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 343 | 8,200 | 417,870 |
| Other living arrangements | 487 | 6,370 | 335,590 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
6,677
housing units
Cary
6,677
McHenry County
121,329
Illinois
5,457,452
Occupancy status
96.9%
occupied
Occupied
96.9%
Vacant
3.1%
vacancy rate
Cary
3.1%
McHenry County
3.1%
Illinois
7.7%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
92.4%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1985
Half of houses were built before 1985, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 7 | 6.5 | 5.6 |
| 1–3 rooms | 4% | 6.6% | 14.6% |
| 4–6 rooms | 38.3% | 42.8% | 50.9% |
| 7+ rooms | 57.7% | 50.6% | 34.6% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 0.6% | 1% | 3.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 3.4% | 5.4% | 11.5% |
| 2 bedrooms | 15.4% | 20.9% | 27.7% |
| 3 bedrooms | 44% | 39.8% | 35.8% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 36.6% | 32.9% | 21.7% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1985 | 1989 | 1971 |
| Total housing units | 6,677 | 121,329 | 5,457,452 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
84.8%
owners
Renter-occupied
15.2%
Owner-occupied
84.8%
homeownership rate
Cary
84.8%
McHenry County
82.7%
Illinois
67.1%
Average household size
2.83
Owner-occupied
2.37
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Cary
2.83
McHenry County
2.71
Illinois
2.62
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 6,468 | 117,594 | 5,036,449 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 19.4% | 19.6% | 23.3% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 33.7% | 38.4% | 38.1% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 21.8% | 21% | 17.3% |
| 1999 or earlier | 25.1% | 21% | 21.3% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.6% | 98.5% | 97.5% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0.3% | 1.2% | 1.6% |
| 1.51 or more | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 2.8% | 3.5% | 11% |
| 1 vehicle | 24.5% | 26.5% | 35.7% |
| 2 vehicles | 50.6% | 44% | 35.1% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 22.2% | 26% | 18.3% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 91.9% | 87.6% | 79.5% |
| Electricity | 7.5% | 11.7% | 18.6% |
| Solar | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| All other fuels | 0% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| No fuel used | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| No telephone service available | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$309,800
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
23.4%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $309,800 | $308,100 | $263,300 |
| Under $100,000 | 2.6% | 4.1% | 13.7% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 9.9% | 14.8% | 21.5% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 34.5% | 29% | 22.3% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 48.4% | 42.2% | 27.7% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 4.5% | 9.2% | 12.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0.8% | 2.7% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 73.4% | 68% | 60.8% |
| Without a mortgage | 26.6% | 32% | 39.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,269 | $2,137 | $1,987 |
| Without a mortgage | $1,014 | $945 | $792 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,428 | $1,401 | $1,274 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
44.7%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Cary
44.7%
McHenry County
35.2%
Illinois
37.8%
Adults without a high school diploma
3.3%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Cary
3.3%
McHenry County
6.4%
Illinois
9.6%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
4,393
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
41.7%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 4,393 | 74,184 | 3,051,569 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.2% | 5.8% | 6.3% |
| K–12 | 70.8% | 73% | 67.3% |
| Kindergarten | 5.9% | 5.2% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 15.5% | 20.1% | 19.5% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 22.2% | 23% | 20.8% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 27.2% | 24.7% | 22.1% |
| College or graduate school | 24% | 21.3% | 26.4% |
| College, undergraduate | 18.5% | 16.8% | 19.8% |
| Graduate, professional school | 5.4% | 4.5% | 6.6% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 41.7% | 36.8% | 41.4% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 83.7% | 87.2% | 80.5% |
| Private school | 16.3% | 12.8% | 19.5% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
12,267
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 12,267 | 216,281 | 8,767,004 |
| Less than 9th grade | 1.4% | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 1.9% | 3.6% | 5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 21.5% | 26.7% | 25.1% |
| Some college, no degree | 22.6% | 22.4% | 19.2% |
| Associate's degree | 7.9% | 9.3% | 8.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.7% | 35.2% | 37.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.5% | 23.2% | 22.6% |
| Graduate or professional | 16.1% | 12% | 15.3% |
| High School or higher | 96.7% | 93.7% | 90.5% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$61,233
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Cary | McHenry County | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $61,233 | $60,427 | $55,582 |
| Less than high school graduate | $27,396 | $34,684 | $34,655 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $36,567 | $47,168 | $40,965 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $50,156 | $54,525 | $47,813 |
| Bachelor's degree | $87,632 | $78,656 | $73,326 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $102,770 | $94,416 | $91,623 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 17.1% | 14.6% | 21.6% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 8% | 8.7% | 14.4% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 2.9% | 4.9% | 9.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 2% | 2.2% | 4.5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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