PlainZIP

Gary, IN · standard

ZIP Code 46406

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

9,900
297/sq mi
$35,839
Median income
$91,700
Median home value
11.8%
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.

4th pct
household income, US ZIPs
7th pct
home value, US ZIPs
297
people per sq mi
48%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 46406 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 46406 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Gary, Lake County, Indiana, home to 9,900 residents across 33.4 square miles, a density of 297 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 46406 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $35,839 (51% below the Indiana average), while per-capita income is $18,916. Local economic indicators show a 36.7% poverty rate alongside 10.6% unemployment. Housing costs here run $91,700 for a typical home value (53% below the state average), with rent averaging $995 a month; 48.0% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 46406, plus 6 more within Lake County, give a clearer read than the 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 46406

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gary, IN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 46406.

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 46406, 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

9,900

Population

33.4

Area (sq mi)

297

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 46406?

33.4

Median Age

47.1%

Male

52.9%

Female

5.0%

Foreign-Born

White 18.9%
African American 61.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%

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?

$35,839

Median Household Income

-51% vs state

$18,916

Per Capita Income

36.7%

Poverty Rate

10.6%

Unemployment Rate

25.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 46406 ranks nationally

Gary, IN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$35,839 4th percentile higher than 4% 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 51.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.8%

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

What does housing look like?

4,041

Total Housing Units

3,487

Occupied Units

554

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 48.0%
Renter 52.0%

$91,700

Median Home Value

-53% vs state

$995

Median Rent

1962

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 142 business establishments in ZIP 46406, employing approximately 4,976 people with a combined annual payroll of $323,083,000.

142

Businesses

4,976

Employees

$323.1M

Annual Payroll

10

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 32 22.5%
Transportation and warehousing 24 16.9%
Other services (except public administration) 17 12.0%
Construction 12 8.4%
Manufacturing 12 8.4%
Accommodation and food services 12 8.4%
Wholesale trade 9 6.3%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 5.6%
Health care and social assistance 8 5.6%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.1%

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 46406 vs 46404 →

ZIP 46406 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 46406 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 46406 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 46406 ranks #9 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
46404 Gary, IN 17,326 2.2 mi
46323 Hammond, IN 22,743 2.5 mi
46402 Gary, IN 6,726 4.0 mi
46312 East Chicago, IN 29,698 3.9 mi
46319 Griffith, IN 18,404 5.4 mi
46408 Gary, IN 17,030 4.5 mi
46407 Gary, IN 12,656 4.4 mi
46322 Highland, IN 23,727 4.6 mi
46324 Hammond, IN 23,165 5.0 mi
46320 Hammond, IN 15,508 5.4 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 46406 in? ▼
ZIP code 46406 (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 46406? ▼
ZIP code 46406 in Gary, IN has a population of 9,900 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 46406? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 46406 is $35,839, which is 53% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 46406? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 46406 is $91,700, which is 67% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 46406? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 46406 is African American at 61.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 18.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 46406? ▼
ZIP code 46406 has 142 business establishments employing approximately 4,976 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 46406? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 46406 are: Retail trade (32), Transportation and warehousing (24), Other services (except public administration) (17). There are 10 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 46406? ▼
In ZIP code 46406, 51.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.8% 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 46406? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 46406 is 25.6 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 46406? ▼
In ZIP code 46406, approximately 48.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 52.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46406? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 46406 is 36.7% 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.