Gary 73 Excellent
Gary Livability #105 ranked city in Indiana#5,592 ranked city in the USARanks better than 80% of areas
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Local Insights Report

What's it like Living in Gary?

Gary, Indiana is a mid-sized city with a population of 77,151 people. With a total of 78%, the Black or African American racial group makes up the majority of the population in Gary. The next most represented races are 15% White and 0% Asian. Single men and women might be happy to hear that in Gary, only 38% of the population is married. Long commute times to work can be incredibly frustrating, ranking just behind housework on the list of life's annoyances. If you opt to make Gary your home, your one-way commute time will typically last around 29 minutes, a duration that aligns with the national average commute time of 26 minutes.

Whether you’re moving to a new town to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Gary could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Indiana if you know where to search. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Using the livability score which includes data from categories like crime, health & safety, education, employment, you can easily compare the best places to live in Gary and also determine if there are any nearby cities that might be a better match for your lifestyle. You can also compare Gary to Indiana and the national average.

Gary, IN receives 72/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #97 in Indiana and #5,592 in the USA. For each of the livability categories, we can establish that Gary ranks very well for cost of living (A+) and housing (A). There are some categories that Gary scores poorly for, including: crime (F), education (F) and employment (F). It might be worth taking a closer look to figure out why.

A robust real estate market serves as a crucial economic indicator, reflecting the local area's strength, stability and the confidence of its residents. Gary excels in the housing sector, scoring high marks based on factors such as median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability. These calculations suggest that the apartment rental and real estate market in the region is exceptionally healthy, highlighting the area's economic vitality and attractiveness to potential homebuyers and renters.

Gary real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Gary. Median real estate prices in Gary come in at $122,694, which is 45.9% lower than the Indiana average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Gary, the home price to income ratio is 2.6, which is 13.3% lower than the Indiana average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Gary

See all the best places to live around Gary

How Do You Rate The Livability In Gary?

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Compare Gary, IN Livability

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      Gary transportation information

      Statistic Gary Indiana National
      Average one way commute29min23min26min
      Workers who drive to work76.2%83.0%76.4%
      Workers who carpool10.3%8.9%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit5.7%1.1%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.2%0.5%0.6%
      Workers who walk1.7%2.1%2.8%
      Working from home2.5%3.5%4.6%
      Source: The Gary, IN data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.