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CITY

Crystal Lake

Illinois · 42,288 residents (2025 est.) · 19.0 sq mi
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The short version

Crystal Lake is a city of 40,579 people in Illinois. Few US cities rank higher on income. 78% of homes are owner-occupied. Households here earn about 30% more than in Illinois as a whole. There are 2,137 people per square mile. Households take in $108,418 a year at the median, 32% more than the country as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $108,418, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
42% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Crystal Lake

What changed most since 1990

  • Population24,512 → 40,579 (+66%)US over the same years: +35%
  • Poverty rate2.1% → 6.8% (+4.7 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts

Among the 394 cities and towns in the Chicago metro

  • 135th in household income$108,418
  • 142nd in share with a bachelor's degree42.0%
  • 167th in home value$311,400
  • 245th in diversity score45.6

Its weight in McHenry County

Crystal Lake's population equals 13% of McHenry County's. Its number of veterans equals 8.3% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
40,579
+7%since 2000
from 38,000 in 2000
42,288 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,137 / sq mi
+7%since 2000
from 2,002 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
39.3
+15%since 2000
from 34.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
19.0 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
23K28K33K38K43K19902000201020202024Crystal Lake
202441K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(1,728)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.8%(2,364)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.5%(3,442)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.7%(3,110)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.6%(2,690)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.3%(4,181)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.3%(6,209)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5414.1%(5,703)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(5,099)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.8%(3,980)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.6%(1,455)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(618)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$108,418
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $66,872 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$46,472
+78%since 2000
from $26,146 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
67.4%
+18.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.8%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 3.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.377
+3%since 2010
from 0.364 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration5.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$311,400
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $165,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,468
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $855 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
77.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 79.3% in 2000
22.4% rent
Vacancy rate
2.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.72 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.86 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.3%
−17.0 ptssince 2009
from 34.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 48.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.9
−12%since 2009
from 3.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
34
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic89.6%(34,067)
Black0.5%(193)
Hispanic / Latino7%(2,662)
Asian1.9%(735)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.3%(31,776)
Black0.6%(250)
Hispanic / Latino13.8%(5,600)
Asian3.7%(1,515)
Other3.5%(1,438)
Diversity Score
46
+28%since 2009
from 36 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican10.8%(4,387)
Puerto Rican0.8%(337)
Nicaraguan0.4%(177)
Salvadoran0.3%(119)
Dominican0.2%(81)
Colombian0.2%(78)
Chilean0.1%(52)
Spaniard0.1%(46)
Cuban0.1%(31)
Guatemalan0.1%(27)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(27)
Honduran0.1%(24)
Venezuelan0.1%(24)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.1%(445)
Filipino0.8%(311)
Korean0.7%(285)
Vietnamese0.5%(192)
Chinese0.4%(154)
Pakistani0.1%(47)
Laotian0.1%(21)
Japanese0%(20)
Thai0%(15)
Ancestry
German24.9%(10,113)
Irish15.2%(6,169)
Polish11.8%(4,790)
Italian10.6%(4,289)
English8.2%(3,314)
Swedish3%(1,229)
American3%(1,223)
Scottish1.9%(761)
Norwegian1.7%(670)
Czech1.4%(568)
French1.3%(530)
Dutch0.9%(369)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Russian0.7%(289)
Austrian0.7%(280)
Croatian0.7%(274)
Ukrainian0.6%(256)
Hungarian0.5%(215)
Lithuanian0.5%(201)
Danish0.5%(195)
Greek0.5%(193)
Arab0.4%(179)
Portuguese0.4%(174)
Welsh0.4%(164)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(142)
Romanian0.3%(132)
Armenian0.3%(131)
Serbian0.2%(97)
Bulgarian0.2%(95)
Swiss0.2%(92)
British0.2%(88)
Finnish0.2%(88)
Belgian0.2%(85)
Latvian0.2%(64)
Palestinian0.1%(58)
Canadian0.1%(58)
Lebanese0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(53)
Egyptian0.1%(52)
West Indian0.1%(49)
Haitian0.1%(49)
Somali0.1%(48)
Brazilian0.1%(44)
Slovene0.1%(26)
Nigerian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
42.0%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 36.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2000
from 91.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
13.8%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 10.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
29.3 min
+17%since 2000
from 25.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.8%
−9.8 ptssince 2009
from 81.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.8%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.0%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−3.7 ptssince 2011
from 7.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2011
from 72.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 78.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.4%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.0%
+5.9 ptssince 2009
from 36.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.4%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Female
50.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
Foreign born
10.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
3.6%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2012
from 6.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.6%
−5.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.0%
+6.7 ptssince 2017
from 89.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 95.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.2%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
83.3%
−1.5 ptssince 2016
from 84.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
10.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2016
from 11.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34%(5,556)
Married55.2%(9,019)
Widowed2%(329)
Divorced8.8%(1,432)
Women 15+
Never married29.3%(4,888)
Married53%(8,858)
Widowed6.9%(1,151)
Divorced10.8%(1,812)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.6%
−5.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
70.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 70.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.1%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 11.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
12.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 10.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 1.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
26.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 26.5% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)16.9%(189)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.7%(243)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.4%(486)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3.3%(37)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(10)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,119 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Crystal Lake, decade by decade

Crystal Lake population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199024,512$110,876$287,28828.5%8.9
200038,000$121,818$301,84836.2%23.9
201040,743$107,923$343,67538.9%36.4
202040,269$110,848$282,89040.2%48.1
202440,579$108,418$311,40042.0%45.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Crystal Lake to nearby cities

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Income$117,151+8%
Home value$321,900+3%
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CRYSTAL LAKE VS
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Income$113,026+4%
Home value$309,800−1%
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CRYSTAL LAKE VS
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Income$134,525+24%
Home value$351,000+13%
Population30,824−27%
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CRYSTAL LAKE VS
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Income$88,536−18%
Home value$334,300+7%
Population29,132−31%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Crystal Lake, Illinois?

Crystal Lake, Illinois has about 40,579 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Crystal Lake, Illinois?

The typical household in Crystal Lake, Illinois earns about $108,418 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Crystal Lake, Illinois expensive?

In Crystal Lake, Illinois, the median home is worth about $311,400, and the typical rent is about $1,468 a month.

How educated are people in Crystal Lake, Illinois?

About 42.0% of adults age 25 and over in Crystal Lake, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Crystal Lake, Illinois?

About 6.8% of people in Crystal Lake, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.

Has Crystal Lake, Illinois grown since 1990?

Yes, Crystal Lake, Illinois has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,067 residents, a change of about 66 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →