PlainZIP

Gary, IN · standard

ZIP Code 46402

Lake County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

6,726
682/sq mi
$33,529
Median income
$85,400
Median home value
10.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Gary pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

3th pct
household income, US ZIPs
6th pct
home value, US ZIPs
682
people per sq mi
43%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 46402 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 46402 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Gary, Lake County, Indiana, home to 6,726 residents across 9.9 square miles, a density of 682 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 46402 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $33,529 (54% below the Indiana average), while per-capita income is $19,741. Local economic indicators show a 44.7% poverty rate alongside 14.2% unemployment. Median home value sits at $85,400 (56% below the state average), median rent at $951 a month, and owner-occupancy at 43.4%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 10.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.5, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Lake County, so you can benchmark 46402 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 46402

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gary, IN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 46402.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 46402, Gary, IN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

6,726

Population

9.9

Area (sq mi)

682

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 46402?

33.5

Median Age

44.6%

Male

55.4%

Female

2.3%

Foreign-Born

White 4.8%
African American 85.0%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$33,529

Median Household Income

-54% vs state

$19,741

Per Capita Income

44.7%

Poverty Rate

14.2%

Unemployment Rate

23.8 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 46402 ranks nationally

Gary, IN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$33,529 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 58.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 10.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

3,418

Total Housing Units

2,258

Occupied Units

1,160

Vacant Units

2.52

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 43.4%
Renter 56.6%

$85,400

Median Home Value

-56% vs state

$951

Median Rent

1945

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 146 business establishments in ZIP 46402, employing approximately 9,036 people with a combined annual payroll of $802,840,000.

146

Businesses

9,036

Employees

$802.8M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 29 19.9%
Other services (except public administration) 17 11.6%
Retail trade 12 8.2%
Manufacturing 11 7.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 11 7.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 11 7.5%
Transportation and warehousing 10 6.8%
Accommodation and food services 10 6.8%
Wholesale trade 7 4.8%
Finance and insurance 7 4.8%
Utilities 4 2.7%
Construction 4 2.7%
Information 4 2.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4 2.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 46402 vs 46407 →

ZIP 46402 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 46402 ranks #0 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 46402 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 46402 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
46407 Gary, IN 12,656 1.4 mi
46409 Gary, IN 8,932 3.5 mi
46404 Gary, IN 17,326 2.5 mi
46403 Gary, IN 12,601 3.5 mi
46406 Gary, IN 9,900 4.0 mi
46408 Gary, IN 17,030 4.3 mi
46405 Lake Station, IN 11,746 3.9 mi
46410 Merrillville, IN 38,340 8.2 mi
46323 Hammond, IN 22,743 6.4 mi
46319 Griffith, IN 18,404 6.9 mi

More ZIP Codes in Lake County

46307 standard
Crown Point, IN
Pop: 60,619
46410 standard
Merrillville, IN
Pop: 38,340
46342 standard
Hobart, IN
Pop: 31,244
46312 standard
East Chicago, IN
Pop: 29,698
46375 standard
Schererville, IN
Pop: 23,820
46322 standard
Highland, IN
Pop: 23,727

Related Areas

Lake County Gary, IN Indiana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 46402 in? ▼
ZIP code 46402 (Gary) is located in Lake County, Indiana. Lake County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lake-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 46402? ▼
ZIP code 46402 in Gary, IN has a population of 6,726 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 46402? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 46402 is $33,529, which is 56% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 46402? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 46402 is $85,400, which is 69% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 46402? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 46402 is African American at 85.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 46402? ▼
ZIP code 46402 has 146 business establishments employing approximately 9,036 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 46402? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 46402 are: Health care and social assistance (29), Other services (except public administration) (17), Retail trade (12). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 46402? ▼
In ZIP code 46402, 58.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 10.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 46402? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 46402 is 23.8 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 46402? ▼
In ZIP code 46402, approximately 43.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 56.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46402? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 46402 is 44.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.