GaryIN
A city of 68,113, settled in 1906. Home to 29 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 bordering towns Map →
Population
68,113
−13.9% since 2010
Typical home
$92K
−1.3% in a year
Household income
$39K
median
Jobs based here
22,661
Balanced
What makes Gary stand out The 3 things Gary does most differently from other towns.
1908 · Gary police force · Library of Congress
Gary’s story
120 years in pictures
18 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 29 places on the National Register.
Explore the history →
c. 1930
From the archive · today’s picture 96 years ago in Gary Hotel Gary, Gary, Indiana (63360)
Postcard · Wikimedia Commons. A different picture from Gary’s archive appears here every day.
Do you remember this? Share a memory See all 18 archive items →
Residents weigh in
Live in Gary? Is a D− for health right?
Agree Disagree
Your answer becomes a post in Gary’s Town Square. Ask me another →
Share something about Gary… Post Start a conversation
In the news: Mind Power is required in these critical times → What’s a piece of Gary history most people don’t know? → Who’s the most interesting person from Gary? → Is Gary still affordable for young families? →
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar. Add an event
The data Ordered by what stands out in Gary. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Gary home is worth about $92K The typical Gary home is worth about $92,000, down 1.3% in a year, 64% below the Indiana typical home.
$92K Zillow home value
Typical home value Gary $92K
Indiana $260K
Market temperature
Balanced A seller's market Buyer’s Seller’s −1.3%
value change, 1 year
Outdoors
9.2% of Gary is conserved land 49 miles of trails across 51 parks and preserves.
#33 for trails in IN
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below 9.2%
conserved · 2,979 of 32,224 acres
49 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
#55
most conserved land in IN
Biggest places to walk Trails Acres 1. Indiana Dunes National Park 6.8 mi 1,907 2. Marquette Park 2.2 mi 240 3. Pine Station Nature Preserve 1.5 mi 259
Health
Healthier than 1% of U.S. towns Gary beats the Indiana average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23.
D− Health Grade
32 measures vs. Indiana
What stands out Gary IN Fewer binge drinkers 11.7% 16.6% Fewer adults who have had cancer 5.9% 8.3% More adults facing a utility shut-off 26.1% 8.4%
Methodist Hospitals
0.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
0th
percentile among IN towns
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 25% of U.S. communities.
25 risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
25 Low risk Lower Higher Inland flooding Cold waves Tornadoes
83
paid flood claims since 1981
10
federal disasters paid out here
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers Gary has chilly winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
27″ snow a winter
Typical low → high °F Winter 22–36°
Spring 40–58°
Summer 63–81°
Fall 45–62°
Oct 27
typical first frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Gary Most working residents leave Gary for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are Merrillville (8%), Chicago (7%) and Hammond (7%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
18% work in town
Where working residents work In Gary 18%
Merrillville 8%
Chicago 7%
Hammond 7%
Hobart 5%
10 mi
median commute distance
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Safety
Crime reported in Gary Gary's reported crime rate is well above Indiana's. 934 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents Gary 13.9
Indiana 3
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents Gary 29.7
Indiana 12.5
U.S. 15.5
934
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,997
property crimes reported in 2025
College town
Indiana University-Northwest calls Gary home
Landmarks 29 places in Gary on the National Register of Historic Places.
All landmarks → Famous people from Gary 67 notable people were born in Gary.
See all 67 →
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 census, making it Indiana's eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Chicago. The city is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park, and is within the Chicago area. Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established the city in 1906 as a company town to serve…
From Wikipedia , licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Established 1906
Population 69,093
Area 57 sq mi
Elevation 591 ft
ZIP code 46401, 46402, 46403
Area code 219 Copyright © 2026 TownTapestry · Stitching communities together · In loving memory of John Cullinane whose interest in maps and discovering new places was contagious. Share TownTapestry to support usBrowse by state · Privacy · Terms 
1908 · Gary police force
Janet Jackson
c. 1930
