Gary, IN
Census ZIP code profile for Gary, IN - 7 ZIPs, total population 85,171. Median income, home value, education, commute, and demographics from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 5-Year Estimates.
U.S. Census Bureau, SimpleMaps US ZIP Code Database, delivery-area ZIP coverage
ACS city ledger plate
Sheet GARY-IN · Gary, IN 7 ZIPs · 85,171 pop · #23956/25278 · Lake County
INC-LOW · RANK-BOTTOM · BELOW-PEER · BOOK-MID · OWN-LOW · POP-SMALL · SPREAD-MOD · HOME-LOW
- INC-LOW $39,752
- RANK-BOTTOM #23956/25278
- BELOW-PEER under East Chicago
- BOOK-MID 7 ZIPs
- OWN-LOW 49% owners
- POP-SMALL 85,171
- SPREAD-MOD 46407→46408
- HOME-LOW $98,786
Nearest income peer: East Chicago, IN (+ $2,373 income $)
Instrument codes from this city’s ACS household income, national rank, county-peer gap, ZIP book, owner tenure, population scale, intra-city income spread, and home-value band, not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Gary
Lowest/highest poles plus county-sharing cities nearest Gary on average ZIP median household income. Full ladder: /cities.
- Gary · this city · lowest $39,752
Gary · this city · lowest
$39,752 median HH income
- East Chicago · near $42,125
East Chicago · near
$42,125 median HH income
- Hammond · near
Hammond · near
$51,797 median HH income
- Merrillville · near
Merrillville · near
$64,127 median HH income
- Griffith · near
Griffith · near
$74,662 median HH income
- Dyer · highest
Dyer · highest
$116,652 median HH income
What this shows County-sharing peers only, not the full US city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the mosaic is wide.
National city placement
According to ACS 5-Year Estimates, Gary, IN sits among US cities with one of the lowest household incomes among US cities, on a small-city population base, across a compact ZIP cluster.
- 5th pct
- household income vs 25,278 US cities
- 85,171
- city population (Census)
- 7
- USPS ZIP codes covered
- $39,752
- avg ZIP median income
Income percentile ranks this city's average ZIP median household income against 25,278 US cities with ACS income on at least one ZIP. Scale and ZIP-spread words come from Census population and USPS ZIP coverage.
Lower household-income footing ($39,752 average) with poverty near 33.6% and unemployment 11.1% across 7 ZIPs. Start from the most populated ZIP rather than treating the city mean as a uniform cost of living.
Every one of the 12 cities sharing Lake County reports a higher average ZIP median income than Gary, Hammond, Crown Point and Merrillville among them. That gap is the county's income spread, not a measure of the housing or commute picture below. Dyer marks the far end of that range at $116,652, 193% above Gary.
Within-city ZIP comparison
Where the ZIP codes inside Gary differ
Gary's city average masks two linked splits. Median household income runs from $28,526 in ZIP 46407 to $47,453 in ZIP 46408, while home values span $60,200 in 46407 to $177,600 in 46403. Compare the endpoint ZIPs before treating the city-level number as a neighborhood-level answer.
- Income high-to-low ratio
- 1.7×
- Home-value high-to-low ratio
- 3.0×
- Poverty-rate spread
- 20.4 points
46407 to 46408
46407 to 46403
46403 to 46402
Derived from the published ACS 2023 ZIP-level records shown on this site. A high-to-low ratio compares the highest and lowest available ZIP values; it is not a score or forecast.
Population concentration
Gary residents fan out across many ZIPs
Population is spread across 7 codes in Gary. The densest, 46404, still represents only about 20% of the 85,171 residents, so no single ZIP stands in for the city.
Census ZBP business roll-up
Wide Gary map, still a sparse ZBP book
Citywide ZBP: 932 establishments, 20,902 employees , annual payroll $1,480,920k (~11 establishments per 1,000 residents) across 7 of 7 ZIPs. Peak business ZIP 46408 (202 units) ; leading NAICS Retail trade (182) · also Other services (except public administration) · Health care and social assistance .
ZIP Codes in Gary, IN
These ZIP codes sit in Lake County, which covers 27 ZIP codes in all; 7 of them fall in Gary. See the Lake County roll-up →
Every one of the 12 cities sharing Lake County reports a higher average ZIP median income than Gary, Hammond, Crown Point and Merrillville among them. That gap is the county's income spread, not a measure of the housing or commute picture below. Dyer marks the far end of that range at $116,652, 193% above Gary.
Side-by-side: Compare 46404 vs 46408 →
Gary roll-ups here are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial or relocation advice. ACS and Census ZBP figures are estimates; confirm the current table against Census before a money or move decision involving Gary, .