Gary, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gary, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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F
Health Well below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,315 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1348.4 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.63% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.7 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 27,311 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gary declined by 28.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 68,315 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gary is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.4% of residents. That is 1.8 points below Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 13,927 20.4% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,551 18.4% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,252 19.4% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,139 17.8% +1.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 54.2% of the people living in Gary and men 45.8%.
- Women 54.2% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 45.8% Indiana 49.6%
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Economy
Gary has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,966 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.87% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.9% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gary is about 46% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $85,962 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,012 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.0% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gary is about 7.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,012 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gary spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 190 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.9 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.7 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 190 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,903 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,919 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,008 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Gary is 23 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gary has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Gary has a health index of F, which means it scores poorly in health.
| Metric | Gary | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 71.4 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 32.6% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.1% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Gary, IN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Gary, IN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary, IN | 68,315 | $38,966 #2/2 | $85,962 #2/2 | 22.9 min #1/2 |
| Hobart, IN | 28,846 | $73,982 | $226,092 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gary, Indiana.
What is the population of Gary, Indiana?
About 68,315 people live in Gary, Indiana, in 27,311 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Gary, Indiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gary, Indiana has 1,348 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 16 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Gary, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($85,962 against $38,966), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,012 a month takes about 31% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Gary, Indiana?
Unemployment in Gary, Indiana is 10.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Gary, Indiana?
13.1% of adults in Gary, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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