Community Profile

Community Profile

Straddling the Northwest Highway / US Route 14 corridor, Cary, Illinois occupies 6.6 square miles of McHenry County. From its humble beginnings as an agricultural community in the 1890s, Cary shifted toward light manufacturing in the 1960s, coinciding with suburban growth at the time. Today, the village has grown to a burgeoning community of nearly 18,000 residents, an explosive growth from its postwar population of less than 1,000.

Residents of Cary enjoy an excellent quality of life. Far from the congestion and traffic of Chicago and the inner suburbs with abundant green space, top-ranked schools, and a diverse, welcoming community, Cary is an ideal place to raise a family. Additionally, convenient commuter rail access to downtown Chicago and proximity to the Rockford and Milwaukee metro areas keeps businesses and residents connected to major employment and financial sectors.

With 3.4 million square feet of industrial space and 900,000 square feet of commercial and office space, Cary is well positioned for economic growth. Meanwhile, an expanding and increasingly diversified housing stock, a vibrant and revitalized downtown with attractions like the Social District and Alfresco Alley, as well as a mix of restaurants, entertainment, and shopping contribute to an exciting, prosperous future.

Community Data Snapshot

The following tables provide specific detail into the demographics of Cary and its residents. Data was obtained via the United States Census Bureau and is based on the 2020 U.S. Census. For additional information on the community, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) publishes annual Community Data Snapshots that further summarize demographic, housing, employment, transportation, land use, revenue, and water data in northeastern Illinois. The most recent report for the Village of Cary is linked below:

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Demographics

  • Population — 17,880
  • Median Age — 39.0
  • Persons Age 20 Years or Older — 74.7%
  • Persons Age 65 Years or Older — 12.8%
  • Foreign-Born Population — 7.0%
  • Number of Households — 6,384
  • Median Household Income — $107,158

Housing

  • Total Housing Units — 6,455
  • Median Gross Rent — $1,286
  • Homeownership Rate — 85.7%
  • Median Household Value — $243,400
  • Bedrooms in Occupied Housing Units (1 or Fewer Bedrooms) — 3.8%
  • Bedrooms in Occupied Housing Units (2-3 Bedrooms) — 58.5%
  • Bedrooms in Occupied Housing Units (4 or More Bedrooms) — 37.7%

Education

(Data based on residents ages 25 and older.)

  • Persons with High School Degree or Higher — 97.5%
  • High School or Equivalent Degree — 19.3%
  • Some College, No Degree — 22.7%
  • Associate’s Degree — 9.8%
  • Bachelor’s Degree — 29.7%
  • Graduate or Professional Degree — 16.1%

Language Spoken at Home

  • English Only — 90.1%
  • Spanish — 6.2%
  • Slavic Languages — 2.1%
  • Other Indo-European Languages — 0.7%
  • Other Asian Languages — 0.4%
  • Tagalog — 0.3%
  • Korean — 0.2%

Employment of Cary Residents

  1. Manufacturing – 983 / 11.2%
  2. Retail Trade – 982 / 11.2%
  3. Healthcare – 893 / 10.2%
  4. Education – 887 / 10.1 %
  5. Professional – 721 / 8.2 %

Employment in Cary

  1. Manufacturing – 1,320 / 21.7%
  2. Wholesale Trade – 1,146 / 18.9%
  3. Healthcare – 726 / 12.0%
  4. Construction – 428 / 7.0%
  5. Education – 388 / 6.4%

Race & Ethnicity

  • White Alone — 83.3%
  • Hispanic or Latino — 11.2%
  • Other or Multiple Races — 4.0%
  • Asian — 1.3%
  • Black or African American — 0.2%