Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Woodstock is one of the best-graded places in America: an A, 101st among Illinois's 767 graded towns. It reports less crime per resident than 81% of U.S. towns, its schools outperform 78% of the state's, and the median household earns $83K. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. Only 12 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score higher on hazard risk. Woodstock has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Woodstock Opera House and Old McHenry County Courthouse. Woodstock's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Woodstock beats most towns.
Where Woodstock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Woodstock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,327 in 1860, 25,630 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 5 maps from 1926 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Woodstock, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Woodstock.
Woodstock carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Illinois (mostly inland flooding) and sees little violent crime.
In Woodstock, the trail network density is 0.9 miles per square mile, above both Illinois’ towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Trails total 12 miles in 21 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Protected Grassland, at 125 acres.
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.7% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Emricson Park | 3.4 mi | 122 |
| 2. Ryders Wood Park | 1.5 mi | 22 |
| 3. Silver Creek Nature Area | 0.9 mi | 67 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 98% of Illinois towns, with expected losses of about $186 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Woodstock. Just over a third of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 30%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Woodstock after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2013.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Violent crime is rare: 11 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
The rate of reported violence in Woodstock is 0.4 per 1,000 residents. In Woodstock, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 5.4 per 1,000 residents, where Illinois’ towns sit at 7.9 and U.S. towns at 9.9.
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most people who work leave Woodstock to do it: just 16% work in town. Jobs based locally fell to 8,965 in 2023, 2,221 fewer than in 2013. Half of commuters travel less than 20 miles. The top destinations are Chicago (9%), Crystal Lake (7%) and McHenry (5%).
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Woodstock, just over one in ten adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Nearly a fifth of adults in Woodstock binge drink; 76% had a checkup this year.
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Woodstock | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Home values are up 4.1% over the year to September 2026. On the market in Woodstock: a median 39 days to sell. The share of households in Woodstock who own their home: 72%.
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 72% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,212 a month | $1,128 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
16% of Woodstock residents are 65 or older. No age group stands out against Illinois: all are within 4 points. A bachelor’s degree or higher: 31% of adults 25 and older, vs 38% across Illinois.
| Woodstock | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.7 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 42.6, men 37.4.
| Woodstock | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.8% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.5% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.6% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.3% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Woodstock. Close and well known come first.
Big draw26 mi Theme parkSix Flags Great America3.0M visitors a year
35 mi Stadium & arenaAllstate Arena
7 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
34 mi MuseumMcDonald's #1 Store Museum
30 mi TheatreAlpine Valley Music Theatre
in town TheatreWoodstock Opera HouseSix Flags Great America: Feather Better, CC BY 4.0 · Allstate Arena: Nkon21, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · McDonald's #1 Store Museum: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Alpine Valley Music Theatre: chad davis, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Woodstock Opera House: HrAtsuo, CC0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Woodstock
About 7 of every 100 Woodstock residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
3 places in Woodstock on the National Register of Historic Places.
19 notable people were born in Woodstock.
City in Illinois, United States
Woodstock is a city in and the county seat of McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located 51 miles (82 km) northwest of Chicago, making it one of the city's outermost suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 25,630. The city's historic downtown district and turn-of-the-century town square is anchored by the landmark Woodstock Opera House and the Old McHenry County Courthouse. In 2007, Woodstock was named one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Woodstock.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodstock | #101 | A | C+ | A− | A− | B+ |
| Bull Valley | — | — | C− | A+ | B+ | A− |
| Dorr Township | #138 | A | C | — | A− | B+ |
| Greenwood Township | #273 | A− | B− | — | A− | B+ |
Bull Valley has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Dorr Township and Greenwood Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Woodstock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Woodstock grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #101 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B+ for health, A− for safety and A− for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Woodstock reports less crime per resident than 81% of U.S. towns, an A− Safety Grade: 11 violent and 139 property crimes in 2025.
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($90,887 across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
19 notable people were born here, including Gigi Goode and Henry Alfred Todd.
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