Photo: Dwatling98 · CC BY-SA 4.0McHenry spent less per resident in 2022 than 66% of similar cities
McHenry’s city government spent $30.5 million on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2024, about $1,085 per resident. Water and other utilities ($1.6 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how McHenry is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,020 per resident in 2022: less than 66% of them
McHenry’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,020 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,158, and the middle half spent $937–$1,570. McHenry spent less than 66% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($2.6 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; McHenry itself left out).
About $1,085 per resident a year, or $2.97 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 44%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 10% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years McHenry reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,020 · 2023: $1,064 · 2024: $1,085.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $6,456 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 2.42% of the home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at McHenry’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to McHenry’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in McHenry →
Who’s in charge in McHenry
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
McHenry’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on ci.mchenry.il.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 198 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (28,117).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
McHenry Community High School District 156
McHenry’s high school district, shared with Greenwood Township, Holiday Hills, Island Lake, Johnsburg, McCullom Lake and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $19,440 per pupil, $10,643 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Illinois districts overall: 52% local, 38% state, 10% federal.
McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15 · $23,286 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
McHenry’s votes are counted by county
Illinois reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McHenry alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are McHenry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican51.3%83,933 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat46.1%75,370 votesOthers: 2.7% (4,363 votes).
Most votes in McHenry County: Donald J Trump
Illinois: Harris 54.4%, Trump 43.5%
100% of McHenry lies in McHenry County. Every 2024 race in McHenry County is on the county’s page.
McHenry County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for McHenry.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.mchenry.il.us ↗
- 2Illinois HouseMcHenry is split between 2 districts
- 3Illinois SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Illinois
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How McHenry compares with the towns next door
McHenry spent $1,020 per resident in 2022; the 3 neighbors that reported 2022 spent $603 to $887. Towns that run more services spend more. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| McCullom Lake | $603 | $3,730 |
| Prairie Grove | $716 | $10,000+ |
| Bull Valley | $887 | $10,000+ |
| Wonder Lake | estimate | $6,129 |
| Johnsburg | estimate | $7,367 |
| McHenry | $1,020 | $6,456 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach McHenry’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about McHenry’s government
How much does McHenry spend per resident?
About $1,085 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to April 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,020 was less than 66% of 44 Illinois cities of 25,000–49,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in McHenry?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,456 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 2.42% of the typical home’s value, vs 2.01% across Illinois. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.mchenry.il.us.
Who runs McHenry’s government?
See ci.mchenry.il.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for McHenry yet.
How did McHenry vote in 2024?
Illinois counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for McHenry alone. McHenry County, where 100% of McHenry lies, voted Trump 51.3%, Harris 46.1% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for McHenry?
142 full-time and 75 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.0M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents McHenry in the state legislature?
McHenry is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Illinois Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 32 (Craig Wilcox). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about McHenry’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →