Census tract · Lake County
Census Tract 126, Lake County, Indiana
Census Tract 126, GEOID 18089012600, in Lake County, Indiana, entirely within Gary and Calumet Township. 2,128 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±447); the 2020 Census counted 2,194.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,128
±447 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,194
Median household income
$37,266
±$11,052 (90% margin)
Lake County: $71,493
Median home value
$78,900
±$7,793 (90% margin)
Lake County: $230,600
Median gross rent
$1,147
±$127 (90% margin)
Lake County: $1,131
Where is Census Tract 126?
Census Tract 126 is one of 132 census tracts in Lake County, Indiana. It covers 0.66 square miles of land, 3,319 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 18089012600, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Gary | 100% |
| Calumet Township | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 126: Tract 123 ($41,185), Tract 124 ($30,341), Tract 125 ($61,375), Tract 127 ($54,391) and Tract 422 ($78,327). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 126?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 126's population at 2,128 (±447) in 774 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,194 residents and 1,184 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 126 | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,128±447 | 68,113 |
| Households | 774±126 | 27,227 |
| Average household size | 2.75±0.31 | 2.48 |
| Housing units | 1,221±103 | 37,816 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 126?
The median resident of Census Tract 126 is 36.9 years old; 26.8% are under 18 and 14.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 77.4%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 9.9%.
| Measure | Tract 126 | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9±7.9 | 36.5 |
| Under 18 years | 26.8%±7.3 pts | 28.5% |
| 65 years and over | 14.5%±4.7 pts | 18.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.6%±2.5 pts | 10.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 9.9%±6.5 pts | 9.4% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 77.4%±10.6 pts | 75.7% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.4 pts | 0.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.5 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 9.5%±7.0 pts | 3.3% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 0.5%±0.8 pts | 2.4% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.5%±1.7 pts | 6.1% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7%±2.9 pts | 7.2% |
| With a disability | 18.0%±4.4 pts | 19.4% |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.3%±2.2 pts | 8.1% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.5%±6.8 pts | 86.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.6%±5.6 pts | 14.8% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.5%±3.3 pts | 5.0% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 85.6%±9.1 pts | 86.0% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 126 earn?
Half of the 774 households in Census Tract 126 earn less than $37,266 a year (±$11,052), against $71,493 across Lake County: 108th highest of the county's 128 tracts with a reliable estimate. 35.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 126 | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,266±$11,052 | $38,731 |
| Mean household income | $74,516±$28,927 | $56,358 |
| Per capita income | $28,106±$11,542 | $23,453 |
| People below the poverty line | 35.1%±13.2 pts | 33.1% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 57.1%±25.1 pts | 53.1% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 37.6%±9.6 pts | 30.2% |
| Households with a computer | 96.6%±3.3 pts | 91.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.1%±6.5 pts | 82.2% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 126?
Owners occupy 54.0% of Census Tract 126's occupied homes and renters 46.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $78,900 by its owner (±$7,793). The median renter pays $1,147 a month including utilities, and 76.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 126 | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $78,900±$7,793 | $94,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,147±$127 | $1,012 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 76.1%±12.3 pts | 51.8% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $831±$311 | $1,175 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.0%±11.7 pts | 49.1% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 46.0%±11.7 pts | 50.9% |
| Housing units | 1,221±103 | 37,816 |
| Single-family detached homes | 89.8%±4.5 pts | 71.9% |
| Mobile homes | 0.9%±1.5 pts | 2.5% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±3.0 pts | 0.3% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.7%±3.7 pts | 2.2% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 19.9%±7.2 pts | 17.3% |
| Households with no vehicle | 13.7%±8.1 pts | 13.6% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 126 get to work?
85.1% of Census Tract 126's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 30.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 20.8%.
| Measure | Tract 126 | Gary |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 59.5%±11.0 pts | 50.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 20.8%±8.8 pts | 11.0% |
| Drove alone to work | 85.1%±10.8 pts | 74.7% |
| Carpooled | 11.4%±9.6 pts | 13.0% |
| Public transportation | 2.4%±3.9 pts | 1.9% |
| Walked | 0.0%±4.8 pts | 1.0% |
| Worked from home | 0.4%±0.9 pts | 6.6% |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.1 min±4.6 | 25.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 126 compare with the other tracts in Lake County?
Among Lake County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 126 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Lake County | In Gary |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 106th of 131 | 16th of 33 |
| Residents per square mile | 41st of 131 | 8th of 33 |
| Median household income | 108th of 128 | 16th of 32 |
| Per capita income | 82nd of 130 | 5th of 32 |
| Median home value | 113th of 122 | 17th of 25 |
| Median gross rent | 57th of 116 | 8th of 31 |
| Poverty rate | 24th of 90 | 18th of 30 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 108th of 117 | 20th of 23 |
| Median age | 82nd of 130 | 13th of 32 |
| Owner-occupied share | 88th of 128 | 11th of 32 |
The tracts next to it on Lake County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 105 | 105th | $40,639±$14,839 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 103.04 | 106th | $40,010±$15,917 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 207 | 107th | $39,327±$4,398 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 126 | 108th | $37,266±$11,052 |
| Tract 110 | 109th | $37,218±$18,744 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 128 | 110th | $36,670±$2,153 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 104 | 111th | $35,915±$19,755 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 126?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 126 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections