McHenry County Census Comparisons

Last week the U.S. Census Bureau came out with new data which a friend of McHenry County Blog took a look at.

Here’s what was found:

Compared 2005-09 stats against 2009-14 for McHenry County:

Social Profile:

1. Total school enrollment dropped to 87,462 from 89,722.
2. Households counted rose to 109,221 from 106,951

Economic Profile:

1. Population 16 and over rose to 237,884 from 236,335, while civilian employed population 16 and older fell from 159,243 to 155,400.
2. Government workers rose from 16,070 to 16,586.
3. Self-employed dropped from 8,431 to 7,201.
4. Median (the midpoint when all numbers are arrayed from highest to lowest) household income fell from $77,314 to $76,345 while mean (what most people call the “average) household income rose from $90,247 to $92,090.

Housing Profile:

1. Housing units rose to 116,534 from 113,470.  One unit detached rose to 90,540 from 88,988. (lowered 77.7% from 78.4%).

2. Median price fell to $213,400 from $251,200.

3. SMOCAPI (SELECTED MONTHLY OWNER COSTS AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME) of 35% or more was 7,833 (of 68,980 units) in 2014 stats vs. 21,192 (of 72,012 units) in 2009 stats. (that is a decrease of 29.5% to 28.7%)

4. Gross rent rose from median $989 to $1064.

5. GRAPI (GROSS RENT AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOUSEHOLD INCOME)  of 35% or more rose from 6,246 of 15,087 units to 19,769 of 68,980 units (from 41.4% to 42%).

 Poverty:

1. Total population used in comparison fell from 311,121 to 306,093.
2. imputed percent poverty rose to 7.6% from 5.6%

Comments

McHenry County Census Comparisons — 17 Comments

  1. Now that people can leave westbound via the Huntley interchange, exit time has been reduced.

    Next we need to expedite the Marengo interchange to speed up the exit!!

    Now, if we could just get a little bit honest about the increase in food prices!

    The “transformation of America” is well underway! What a legacy ‘he’ is leaving behind!

    WARNING!

    The numbers could actually be better or worse.

    All the statistics relative to population are PROJECTIONS!

    Remember, prior to the 2010 official census, the projected population for McHenry County was 320,961 for 2009!!

    We will not know how bad the exodus really is until the 2020 census.

    One number that is current is the number of people in Illinois who receive Food stamps: 2,045,533 as of yesterday.

    When you drive or walk, imagine every sixth person is dependent on food stamps.

  2. The Chicago Tribune in the Real Estate section dated December 6th edition reported that McHenry County is one of the only county’s that has not rebounded in price of homes in Illinois.

    We have all lost a minimum of 20K and counting..

    Zillow reports Marengo as upward of 56% low income..

    most likely to the FREE FOOD Industry that has now become a profession and no longer for people in need.

  3. A lot of people in McHenry even newer citizens oppose growth.

    The land next to my house was zoned business for decades, but residential rezoned and that raised taxes because residential meant more school children in mostly large 4 bedroom homes.

    More people living in county are retiring with falling incomes that can’t afford the big property taxes.

    Poor people working in low paying jobs owned by many who make the larger county incomes cannot afford rents etc and rely on Federal and State handouts.

    We are subsidizing these low wage jobs.

    It has come to a tipping point in McHenry County.

    If you want growth you cannot say I don’t want a nice, clean business park next to my house, or I don’t want a highway put in by my property.

    If you don’t want these things then you must pay higher taxes because people want better roads to get to Chicago for better paying jobs and they want to own houses but can’t afford them on low pay.

  4. This argument has a logical fallacy.

    New business in McHC is now either in a tif or an enterprise zone.

    New non-residential development demands (and gets, from municipal rulers,)the diversion of property tax dollars to their individual benefit, without any compensatory guarantees(‘promised’ jobs are not accompanied by clawback provisions of subsidies granted).
    So more property tax-dollar giveaways on-the-come are just more bets on poor payouts for long odds.

  5. Unless you are going to back your statement up with facts and specifics It has no credence.

    It is clear to me that NO ONE on this blog has any idea what happens with business in this county.

    Nor do you understand Basic economic development.

    You need business to create primary jobs, which ultimately reduces your tax burden.

    Adding access to a interstate would be the BEST economic move this county has ever made-

    Look at the BUSINESS not retail growth around Huntley with the interchange.

    For once- offer a solution instead of just witching….

  6. The solution is to declare a moratorium on all property tax diversions to insider-selected recipients.

    Convince (force) taxing bodies to adhere to 2.5% property tax rate cap, divided amongst themselves equitably.

    Let non-residential (AND residential, obviously) growth occur organically rather than via crony Capitalism.

  7. You don’t understand what an enterprise zone is.

    You again can not give examples of all of the “demands” that business is making.

    Not walmart- Business.

    I don’t disagree with ending the cronyism- how about we start with the family legacy at the county board and county government.

  8. My fingers are bloody stumps from typing source citations on this blog.

    This County has had at least a decade of trying what you suggest (offering tax incentives and grants to ‘the chosen’).

    Those NOT ‘Chosen’ can’t compete, and the County has lost those jobs and much of that tax revenue.

    The message is clear: don’t even THINK about opening a business in this area unless you have all the risk paid for up front by local natives.

    Only necessary Facts and Specifics: Woodstock 4.66% property tax rate.

    Property tax rate is the fair market value-rating system for viability of property investment.

    A new buyer will either pay that rate, or have it abated.

    If abated, it raises the rate for all surviving property owners unfortunate enough to not have obtained abatements.

    The highway is where it is.

    If you live in SE Marengo, and hope for site-specific Rosemont-type development, put up personal capital and take the risk yourself, as you will certainly collect all rewards for yourself.

  9. Please cut-and- paste Enterprise Zone statute and descriptions here.

    I’m tired of doing it over and over by myself.

  10. Businesses located or expanding in an Illinois enterprise zone may be eligible for the following incentives:

    -an exemption on the retailers’ occupation tax paid on building materials, and

    -an investment tax credit of .5 percent of qualified property.

    Additional exemptions, such as an expanded state sales tax exemption on purchases of personal property used or consumed in the manufacturing process or in the operation of a pollution control facility and an exemption on the state utility tax for electricity, natural gas and the Illinois Commerce Commission’s administrative charge and telecommunication excise tax are available for companies that make the minimum statutory investment that either creates or retains the necessary number of jobs.

    These exemptions require a business to make application to, and be certified by, the Department.

    In addition to the state incentives, each zone offers distinctive local incentives to enhance business development projects.

    Each enterprise zone has a designated zone administrator who is responsible for zone compliance and is available to answer questions regarding the zone.

    To receive a Certificate of Eligibility for Sales Tax Exemption, you must contact the local zone administrator of the zone into which the purchased building material will be incorporated.

    More information regarding Illinois enterprise zones is available by clicking here.

    Local Incentives

    Tax Abatement.

    Properties in the Enterprise Zone qualify for a property tax abatement for all non-residential construction, renovation or rehabilitation projects.

    The purpose of this incentive is to offer potential businesses a reduction in the City-portion of their property taxes for an 8-year period.

    For Manufacturing/Office/Warehouse Projects.

    Minimum capital investment of $250,000 and the creation and/or retention of 20 full-time or FTE jobs are required.

    Abatement will be for 8 consecutive years as outlined below beginning with the real estate taxes for the first full year of the project’s completion and/or occupancy:

    •Years One through Four: 100% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    •Years Five and Six: 50% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    •Years Seven and Eight: 25% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    For Retail, Restaurant, Hotel/Motel & Commercial Projects.

    Minimum capital investment of $150,000 and the creation and/or retention of 20 full-time or FTE jobs are required.

    Abatement will be for 8 consecutive years as outlined below beginning with the real estate taxes for the first full year of the project’s completion and/or occupancy:

    •Years One through Four: 100% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    •Years Five and Six: 50% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    •Years Seven and Eight: 25% of the amount in excess of the base amount

    Tax abatements will not be granted for property located in a TIF District.

    If a business falls below the specified employment requirements at any time during the life of the abatement, the business shall not be eligible for the abatement.

    Permit Fee Reduction.

    he City is offering a reduction by 50% of all building permit-related fees normally charged in conjunction with commercial, office and manufacturing projects involving rehabilitation, expansion or new construction within the Enterprise Zone.

    This reduction shall not apply to any costs associated with the use by the City of outside consultants.

    State Incentives

    The State of Illinois offers a number of incentives to businesses that expand and/or locate within an Enterprise Zone.

    Specific information regarding the Enterprise Zone can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website or by reviewing the Enterprise Zone Incentives document.

    Supporting Documents

    PDF icon Enterprise Zone – Boundary Map (Woodstock) (387 KB)

    PDF icon Enterprise Zone – Program Incentives (46 KB)

    PDF icon State of Illinois – Enterprise Zone Incentives (46 KB)

    PDF icon Enterprise Zone – Woodstock-Harvard Awarded – Press Release (186 KB)

    PDF icon Enterprise Zone – Fiscal Year 2011 Report (870 KB)

    Web Links

    Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

    Illinois Enterprise Zone Act
    http://www.woodstockil.gov/ed/page/enterprise-zone

  11. Does anyone remember ALL of the incentives Motorola received?

    Where are they now? How badly was Harvard taken for a ride? …

    And the rest of us taxpayers?

  12. Susan, know that there are a good number us out here who deeply appreciate everything you’ve done on these issues.

    Some folks seem to skip over facts handed them only to prattle on in their own little world.

  13. Susan, do you think the people around Randall at Alg Rd should pay for road improvements at that intersection instead of McDOT?

  14. In my opinion, Steve Willson wrote an excellent analysis of the ‘need’ for road ‘improvements’ on Randall, and the projected cost compared to cost-per-lane-mile anywhere else in America, and the cost-to-benefit ratio.
    In my opinion, if those spearheading campaigns to spend large sums of OPM would use that sort of analytic template, and then allocate costs amongst beneficiaries accordingly, we could use this blog for writing poetry and trading recipes.

  15. No matter, the Great Exodus from Illinois shall continue.
    Tune in tomorrow for the next episode.

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