Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, home to about 68,113 people across 50 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 46402, 46403, 46404, 46406, 46407, 46408 and 46409, and parts of 46405 are in Gary too.
Homes sold for a median of $86 per square foot across 7 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 4 of 7 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Gary; also Portage
Mostly Lake Station; part is in Gary
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Gary. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Gary’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)25 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY)4 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chicago, IL25 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Gary; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Gary had 69,093 residents in the 2020 census, down 33% since 2000.
It’s the 11th largest of 693 towns in Indiana by population.
Lake County grew from 37,892 residents in 1900 to 498,700 in 2020.
Lake County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 18°F. About 39.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Indiana Dunes Nl, IN weather station (14 miles away).
171,790 jobs at 10,566 businesses in Lake County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
297 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Gary’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 19 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 30 |
| Dentists | 8 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 80 |
| Mental health providers | 133 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 24 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Pharmacies | 13 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (65 nearby)
Grocery stores (9 nearby)
Pharmacies (5 nearby)
Libraries (5 nearby)
Museums (4 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (5 nearby)
Counts are within about 4.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1906.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Charter School of the Dunes, Gary Community School Corp, 21st Century Charter Sch of Gary and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter School of the DunesGary | Pre-K–8 | 836 | Charter | 5.1 mi |
| Frankie Woods McCullough AcademyGary | Pre-K–5 | 472 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Mary M Bethune Early Child Dev CtrGary | Pre-K–K | 231 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| 21st Century Charter Sch of GaryGary | K–12 | 1,180 | Charter | 1.3 mi |
| Aspire Charter AcademyGary | K–8 | 684 | Charter | 2.6 mi |
| Banneker Elementary at MarquetteGary | K–5 | 293 | Public | 4.8 mi |
| Beveridge Elementary SchoolGary | K–5 | 374 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Daniel Hale Williams Elem SchGary | K–5 | 450 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Gary Lighthouse Charter SchoolGary | K–12 | 1,138 | Charter | 2.6 mi |
| Gary Virtual AcademyGary | K–12 | 45 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Glen Park Acad for Excel in LrnGary | K–5 | 566 | Public | 3.8 mi |
| Longfellow New Tech Elementary SchGary | K–4 | 483 | Public | 4.6 mi |
| Steel City AcademyGary | K–12 | 286 | Charter | 2.2 mi |
| Thea Bowman Leadership AcademyGary | K–12 | 773 | Charter | 2.3 mi |
| Lake Ridge New Tech Middle SchoolGary | 5–8 | 447 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Bailly Middle SchoolGary | 6–8 | 355 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| Gary Career CenterGary | 6–12 | — | Career and Technical | 2.5 mi |
| Gary Middle SchoolGary | 6–8 | 365 | Public | 5.5 mi |
| Calumet New Tech High SchoolGary | 9–12 | 620 | Public | 4.1 mi |
| Excel Center - GaryGary | 9–12 | 125 | Charter | 3.4 mi |
| Gary Middle CollegeGary | 9–12 | 202 | Charter | 1.4 mi |
| West Side Leadership AcademyGary | 9–12 | 1,232 | Public | 3.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Safari Preparatory AcademyGary | Pre-K–K | 6 | Nonsectarian | 2.6 mi |
| My Safari Preparatory Academy Georgia St. CampusGary | Pre-K–K | 5 | Nonsectarian | 3.9 mi |
| Repairer of the Breach Ministries (D211)Gary | Pre-K–12 | 35 | Other religious | 2.9 mi |
| Ambassador Christian AcademyGary | K–8 | 184 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.4 mi |
| Ascension Lutheran Christian SchoolGary | K–5 | 52 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 3.7 mi |
| Life Christian Steam AcademyGary | K–5 | 44 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.4 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lake Station, Portage and Griffith.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.