The Town Files

Trout Valley, Illinois

Village in McHenry County · population 515 (2020 Census)

Map: where Trout Valley is in IllinoisTrout Valley
Median home
$446,200
Household income
$217,292
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 81°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
54.2

Trout Valley is a village of 515 people in McHenry County, Illinois. The median home is worth $446,200, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 93% of Illinois towns, better for young professionals than 90% of Illinois towns, more of a college town than 88% of Illinois towns.

Trout Valley in our rankings:

How Trout Valley ranks

Percentile among Illinois towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Illinois towns.

Trout Valley lifestyle rankings vs other Illinois townsRetirement69th pctFamilies68th pctQuiet56th pctWalkability81st pctFirst-time buyers93rd pctYoung professionals90th pctVibrancy69th pctHip & trendy83rd pctCollege town88th pctUpscale83rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit80th pctDriving29th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Trout Valley is worth $446,200, above the typical Illinois town ($156,600). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $217,292, which is more affordable than 55% of Illinois towns. 98.3% of households own their home.

Trout Valley vs McHenry County vs typical Illinois townTrout ValleyMcHenry CountyTypical Illinois townHome value$446,200$308,100$156,600Household income$217,292$104,802$72,500
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Illinois towns with 500+ people.
HousingTrout ValleyTypical Illinois town
Median home value$446,200$156,600
Median rent—$960
Median household income$217,292$72,500
Home value ÷ income2.1×2.2×
Homeownership98.3%76.6%
Median year built19681967
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Trout Valley

PeopleTrout ValleyTypical Illinois town
Median age54.240.4
Age 65 and over19.5%18.7%
Under 1819.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher69.4%21.8%
Below the poverty line2.6%9.9%
Veterans2.2%—
Born outside the U.S.6.3%—
Work from home20.6%8.9%
Average commute33.8 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband99.1%90.4%

Weather in Trout Valley

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F. About 40.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.5 inches of snow (typical Illinois town: 24.2 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 nights at or below freezing.

Trout Valley monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°13°Jan33°16°Feb45°27°Mar58°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun81°63°Jul79°61°Aug72°54°Sep60°42°Oct46°30°Nov34°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.112.61.98.52.44.64.01.15.24.64.04.63.63.40.12.62.02.29.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Barrington 3Sw station (7.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Trout Valley since 1950, compared with 27 for the typical Illinois town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 21, 1967 about 1.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 7 deaths and 176 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on February 27, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Trout Valley by decade11950s51960s21970s11980s01990s02000s02010s52020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 94 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 20, 2013.

Severe weather in McHenry County since 1996

Storm events in McHenry County since 1996 by typeHail182Flood30Drought24Tornado16High Wind27Lightning23Heavy Rain20Flash Flood18
NOAA Storm Events Database, McHenry County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

McHenry County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 26, 2020BiologicalDR-4489: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3435: Covid-19
May 10, 2013FloodDR-4116: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding
March 17, 2011SnowstormDR-1960: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 13, 2008SnowstormEM-3283: Record Snow And Near Record Snow

Jobs and pay in McHenry County

McHenry County had 96,922 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,107 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Trout Valley itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.

Largest industries in McHenry CountyRetail13,102 jobs · $35,666Manufacturing12,350 jobs · $71,872Health care & social assistan…11,933 jobs · $48,485Hotels & restaurants9,563 jobs · $24,369Construction7,470 jobs · $86,235Administrative & support6,080 jobs · $47,999
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in McHenry County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023McHenry 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Trout Valley

Trout Valley questions

Is Trout Valley, Illinois a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Trout Valley scores better for retirees than 69% of Illinois towns and quieter than 56%. 19.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 54.2).

How much does a house cost in Trout Valley?

The median owner-occupied home in Trout Valley is valued at $446,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $217,292, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Trout Valley?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 13.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.4 inches of precipitation a year and 38.5 inches of snow.

Does Trout Valley get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Trout Valley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 21, 1967. The typical Illinois town has had 27.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Trout Valley's Census boundary (GEOID 1776160). Comparisons use the median of Illinois towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.