City safety & data profile

GaryIN

Gary, IN is a 77K-resident city in Lake County with a median household income of $38,731.

Lake County, Indiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Gary, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Gary has a population larger than 89% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $94,700, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

77K
Population
Top 11%
By size
$38,731
Median income
$94,700
Median home
33.1%
Poverty rate

The read on Gary

Gary posts a median household income higher than 1% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Gary area.

Top 99%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Gary

Where Gary income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$38,731 Bottom 1% higher than 1% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Gary, IN beyond the headline numbers

Gary sits inside Lake County, Indiana, at roughly 41.59°N, -87.35°W. Population 77,156, $38,731 median household income. Median home value $94,700, median rent $1,012. Poverty rate 33.1%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Gary's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 53.3%, then high blood pressure at 52.6%. 1 hospital in/around Gary, 1/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Gary from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
77,156
Gary
Median Income
$38,731
-43% vs avg
Median Home Value
$94,700
-58% vs avg
Median Age
36.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lake County) - Gary's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
500K+1%
Median Income
$71,493+46%
Median Home Value
$230,600+69%
Poverty Rate
14.3%-20%
Unemployment
6.1%-47%

Economics

Economics indicators for Gary, IN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,012/mo
Poverty Rate
33.1% +133% vs avg
Unemployment 11%
Bachelor's Degree+ 14.8%
Work From Home 6.6%
Public Transit 1.9%

Population

White 11%
African American 76.2%
Asian 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
53.3%
High Blood Pressure
52.6%
Obesity
51.9%
Physical Inactivity
40.9%
Current Smoking
25.6%
Diabetes
25%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.7%
Frequent Physical Distress
19.8%
Current Asthma
14.4%
Lack of Health Insurance
13.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 40.1%
Annual Checkup 83.2%

Other Measures

Binge Drinking
11.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
9.9%
Stroke
7.3%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
0
★
1
Average Rating
1/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
METHODIST HOSPITALS INC
GARY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★☆☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Gary, IN? ▼
Gary, IN has a population of 77,156 people, located in Lake County, Indiana.
What is the median household income in Gary? ▼
The median household income in Gary, IN is $38,731 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 33.1%.
What is the median home value in Gary? ▼
The median home value in Gary, IN is $94,700. Median rent is $1,012/month.
What are the top health concerns in Gary? ▼
The top health indicators in Gary include Short Sleep Duration (53.3%), High Blood Pressure (52.6%), Obesity (51.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Gary? ▼
Gary has 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Gary? ▼
The median age in Gary, IN is 36.5 years. 14.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Gary, IN is located in Lake County, Indiana. With a population of 77K and a $38,731 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 1/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Gary area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Indiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Indiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Griffith, IN 16K Lake Station, IN 12K Hobart, IN 28K Merrillville, IN 35K Highland, IN 23K East Chicago, IN 29K Hammond, IN 78K Schererville, IN 29K
All cities in Indiana → Compare Gary vs Griffith → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Gary's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Gary area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Gary against Indiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Indiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lake County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.