McHenry-Church-ky, 2018
McHenry’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 124 in 1880, a peak of 722 in 1940, 369 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 3 maps from 1909 on.
- 1874McHenry is settled
McHenryKY
A town of 378, settled in 1874.
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Population
378
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$96K
Census ACS
Household income
$40K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Jobs based here
11
A commuter town
Is McHenry a good place to live?
Only 1 of the 143 Kentucky towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than McHenry. McHenry has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
378 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to McHenry: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in McHenry, and how to reach them.
PowerKU11.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOhio County Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have McHenry’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereOhio County ClerkOhio County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Feb 2019
ZIP codes42354, 4232042354 68% · 42320 32%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in McHenry.
Work & commute
McHenry has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave McHenry for work: only 1% work in town. 22% of McHenry residents live below the poverty line, above both the Kentucky town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The median household income in McHenry is $40,000.
1%work in town
| McHenry | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In McHenry1%
Hartford14%
Beaver Dam11%
Owensboro6%
Morgantown4%
12 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in McHenry
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
McHenry faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
McHenry has mild winters and hot summers
McHenry has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. McHenry’s July high is 88°F, where Kentucky’s towns sit at 87°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–47°
Spring46–69°
Summer65–87°
Fall47–70°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy McHenry is
McHenry beats the Kentucky average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 24% of adults smoke cigarettes in McHenry. Among 142 Kentucky towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than McHenry.
| McHenry | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 27% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Kentucky
0 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | McHenry | KY |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9.8% | 5.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 28.1% | 18.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 23% | 15.5% |
Ohio County Hospital
5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.7%conserved
| McHenry | Kentucky towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1.7%
conserved · 7 of 414 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McHenry Community Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about McHenry
18pages on McHenry
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of McHenry; the nearest are
Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Owensboro25 mi$4,728 in-state tuitionWestern Kentucky UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bowling Green37.3 mi$11,652 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 McHenry residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Kentucky.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave McHenry for work
Where McHenry’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11jobs based in McHenry
1%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About McHenry
City in Kentucky, United States
McHenry is a home rule-class city in Ohio County, Kentucky, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, McHenry had a population of 369.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1880
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 420 ft
- ZIP code
- 42354
- Area code
- 270
Questions about McHenry
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McHenry, KY a good place to live?
McHenry has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.