City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

Gary, IN

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Gary - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

68,604
Residents
$37,380
Median income
$85,300
Median home
$1,317
Median rent (state)

Gary - the verdict

Gary ranks in the 6th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

6th
percentile, household income
5th
percentile, home value
47th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Gary, IN

Gary is a small city in Indiana, home to 68,604 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Gary brings in $37,380 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 29.0%. Typical homes in Gary are valued around $85,300, and the median resident age is 36.4 years. 14.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 44.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 8 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: the state registers 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,317 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Indiana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Workers in Gary report an average commute of 24.9 minutes, with 76.2% driving alone and 5.4% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 95.9 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

68,604 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Indiana

Median Household Income

$37,380 /yr

Poverty 29.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.3 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average

How does Gary compare to other US cities?

Here's how Gary stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 6% higher than other cities
Home value 5% pricier than other cities
Median rent 47% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Gary's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Indiana, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

6thIncome percentile

6th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Gary's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$85,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 95% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Gary $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Gary, IN Gary, IN's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Gary, IN-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Gary, IN median $37,380/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Gary, IN's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Gary, IN. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 14.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 29.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 44.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
68,604
Median Income
$37,380
Median Home Value
$85,300
Median Age
36.4
Poverty Rate
29.0%
Labor force participation
44.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.3%

Schools

Total Schools
21
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
67,000 residents68,000 residents69,000 residents70,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 68,976 residents 67,289 residents ▼ -2.4%
Gary's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
8
housing units authorized
Single-Family
8
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 8
2020 8
2021 10
2022 6
2023 7
2024 8

Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.9 minutes
Drive Alone
76.2%
Carpool
12.2%
Public Transit
2.6%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
5.4%
Other
3.1%

Based on 21,696 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Indiana - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Indiana state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Indiana state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Gary sits in

Cost of Living Index
93.3
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,317/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Indiana

Lafayette
70,650 people
Noblesville
71,940 people
Muncie
64,739 people
Greenwood
64,237 people
Hammond
77,098 people
Kokomo
59,375 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Gary's 68,604 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Schenectady, NY
68,521 people
Portland, ME
68,505 people
San Marcos, TX
68,920 people
Shawnee, KS
68,175 people
South Hill, WA
68,161 people
Eagan, MN
68,158 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Gary's $37,380 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Richlands, VA
$37,382 median income
Norwood, MO
$37,375 median income
Elmore City, OK
$37,375 median income
Brunson, SC
$37,391 median income
Lineville, AL
$37,396 median income
Houstonia, MO
$37,396 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Gary, IN Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Gary, IN - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 12.8% 76.5% 6.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.8% White 12.8% Black or African American 76.5% Asian 0.3% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 3.4% Two or more races 6.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Gary compares to nearby Indiana cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Gary (this city) 68,604 $37,380
Lafayette 70,650 $52,946
Noblesville 71,940 $102,319
Muncie 64,739 $43,395
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IN NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Gary, IN?

What is the population of Gary, IN? +

68,604 people live in Gary, IN according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Gary, IN? +

Gary households earn a median of $37,380 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Gary? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Gary; the closest available measure is the Indiana state average, a cost of living index of 93.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Indiana vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Gary, IN? +

The median home value in Gary is $85,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.