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Illinois›McHenry County

ChemungIL

239 people live in this town, settled in 1845.

Is Chemung a good place to live?

Chemung’s age of the median resident is 69.9 years, against 40.7 years in Illinois’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. No town among the 769 in Illinois we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Chemung. Chemung has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

239 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Chemung.

Work & commute

Most of Chemung’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.6 jobs for each of them

0%work in town

The median commute is under 28 miles. Since 2013, Chemung has added 70 jobs, to 94 in 2023. The top destinations are Harvard (12%), Chicago (8%) and Crystal Lake (5%). The town’s median household income is $68,000.

Where working residents work

In Chemung0%
Harvard12%
Chicago8%
Crystal Lake5%
Woodstock4%
28 mi
median commute distance
94
jobs based in Chemung
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazards

Top of a low hazard risk in Chemung: inland flooding

26risk score of 100

The risk rating from FEMA in Chemung is 26 of 100. 50% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 21%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in nearly three quarters of U.S. communities.

FEMA risk score
26Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Chemung

32″snow a winter

Expect July afternoons of 83° and January nights of 13°, with about 32 inches of snow a winter.

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–32°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall40–61°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Chemung is

15% of Chemung adults have diabetes. CDC measures, 32 in all: Chemung beats Illinois on 1 and trails on 13.

ChemungIllinois townsU.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)41%35%35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)15%11%12%
No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES)13%7.9%8.1%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)24%18%19%
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better18 too close to call13 worse
What stands outChemungIL
More adults treating high blood pressure78.8%75.7%
More adults with COPD9.3%6.3%
Mercy Harvard Hospital
3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

0.2% of the land in Chemung is protected from building

0.2%conserved

Parks and preserves in Chemung: one, of 2 acres.

0.2%
conserved · 0 of 179 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Beck's Woods—2

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Chemung

16pages on Chemung
Nearby attractions

Six Flags Great America and 18 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chemung. Close and well known come first.

All 93 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Six Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park: Martin Lewison from The Hague, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.0

Getting set up

Moving to Chemung: who provides what

Chemung is unincorporated, so McHenry County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMcHenry CountyMcHenry County provides services here
SchoolsHarvard Community Unit School District 50Which school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereMcHenry County ClerkMcHenry County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6003360033 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Chemung for work

Where Chemung’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

12% → Harvard Harvard 12% 8% → Chicago Chicago 8% 5% → Crystal Lake Crystal Lake 5% 4% → Woodstock Woodstock 4% 4% → Walworth Walworth 4% 2% → Waukegan Waukegan 2% Chemung · 0% stay
94jobs based in Chemung
0%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Chemung; the nearest are

About Chemung

Census-designated place in Illinois, United States

Chemung, elevation 896 feet (273 meters), is an unincorporated census-designated place in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 276.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.3 sq mi
Area code
815

Questions about Chemung

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Chemung, IL a good place to live?

Chemung has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

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