PlainZIP

Gary, IN · standard

ZIP Code 46409

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

8,932
967/sq mi
$44,667
Median income
$78,800
Median home value
11.4%
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.

9th pct
household income, US ZIPs
4th pct
home value, US ZIPs
967
people per sq mi
45%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 46409 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 46409 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Gary, Lake County, Indiana, home to 8,932 residents across 9.2 square miles, a density of 967 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 46409 reports a modest median household income of $44,667 (39% below the Indiana average), while per-capita income is $25,568. Local economic indicators show a 30.0% poverty rate alongside 12.4% unemployment. On housing, the median home value is $78,800 (59% below the state average) with median rent at $1,195 per month, and 44.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 34.7, and the average commute is 27 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 46409, 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 46409

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Gary, IN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 46409.

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 46409, 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

8,932

Population

9.2

Area (sq mi)

967

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 46409?

34.7

Median Age

48.7%

Male

51.3%

Female

2.5%

Foreign-Born

White 11.7%
African American 65.1%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 17.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%

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?

$44,667

Median Household Income

-39% vs state

$25,568

Per Capita Income

30.0%

Poverty Rate

12.4%

Unemployment Rate

26.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 46409 ranks nationally

Gary, IN household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$44,667 9th percentile higher than 9% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $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 49.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.4%

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

What does housing look like?

4,184

Total Housing Units

2,648

Occupied Units

1,536

Vacant Units

2.71

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 44.5%
Renter 55.5%

$78,800

Median Home Value

-59% vs state

$1,195

Median Rent

1955

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 74 business establishments in ZIP 46409, employing approximately 503 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,902,000.

74

Businesses

503

Employees

$16.9M

Annual Payroll

7

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 20 27.0%
Retail trade 16 21.6%
Other services (except public administration) 13 17.6%
Accommodation and food services 6 8.1%
Finance and insurance 4 5.4%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4 5.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 3 4.0%

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 46409 vs 46407 →

ZIP 46409 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 46409 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 46409 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 46409 ranks #8 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 2.1 mi
46408 Gary, IN 17,030 2.4 mi
46402 Gary, IN 6,726 3.5 mi
46410 Merrillville, IN 38,340 4.7 mi
46404 Gary, IN 17,326 3.6 mi
46405 Lake Station, IN 11,746 3.7 mi
46342 Hobart, IN 31,244 4.6 mi
46403 Gary, IN 12,601 5.0 mi
46319 Griffith, IN 18,404 5.3 mi
46322 Highland, IN 23,727 7.0 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 46409 in? ▼
ZIP code 46409 (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 46409? ▼
ZIP code 46409 in Gary, IN has a population of 8,932 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 46409? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 46409 is $44,667, which is 41% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 46409? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 46409 is $78,800, which is 72% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 46409? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 46409 is African American at 65.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 17.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 46409? ▼
ZIP code 46409 has 74 business establishments employing approximately 503 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 46409? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 46409 are: Health care and social assistance (20), Retail trade (16), Other services (except public administration) (13). There are 7 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 46409? ▼
In ZIP code 46409, 49.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.4% 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 46409? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 46409 is 26.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 46409? ▼
In ZIP code 46409, approximately 44.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 55.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46409? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 46409 is 30.0% 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.