46402 ZIP Code — Gary, IN

Lake County, Indiana

ZIP code 46402 is located in Gary, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 8.43 square miles and serves a population of 5,873 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 46402

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $69,400. Renters make up the majority at 58%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $26,101. Poverty affects 46% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 40% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 41% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 23 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 9% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (54%), diabetes (25%), smoking (29%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46402 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,873

population

8.43

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

46402 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46402

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46402. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gary	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46407 Gary (2.6 mi) 46404 Gary (2.7 mi) 46406 Gary (3.3 mi) 46403 Gary (4.7 mi) 46409 Gary (4.8 mi) 46405 Lake Station (4.9 mi) 46408 Gary (5 mi) 46312 East Chicago (6 mi) 46323 Hammond (6.1 mi) 46322 Highland (7.5 mi) 46319 Griffith (7.6 mi) 46324 Hammond (8.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,873
Population density	697 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	8.43 sq mi
Water area	4.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.6135
Longitude	-87.3429
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	219

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	79.5%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	14.5%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.1%	4.1%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,873

Population

697

People per sq mi

35.1

Median age

$26,101

Median household income

$15,671

Per capita income

$69,400

Median home value

$847

Median monthly rent

42.1%

Home ownership

46.1%

Poverty rate

18.1%

Unemployment

2,138

Housing units

8.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

158

Under 5

188

323

5–9

383

198

10–14

234

194

15–19

229

195

20–24

230

271

25–34

320

296

35–44

351

202

45–54

238

160

55–59

190

189

60–64

224

281

65–74

332

141

75–84

167

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,818	31.0%
18 and over	4,055	69.0%
65 and over	1,100	18.7%
Median age	35.1 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 86.8%

White 5.1%

Two or more races 4%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

Other race 1.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	5,202	86.8%
White	304	5.1%
Two or more races	241	4%
Hispanic or Latino	118	2%
Other race	109	1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	79.5%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	14.5%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.1%	4.1%	4.5%

Under $10k 15.1%

$10k–$15k 12.9%

$15k–$25k 19.9%

$25k–$35k 16.4%

$35k–$50k 10.0%

$50k–$75k 10.7%

$75k–$100k 7.8%

$100k–$150k 5.1%

$150k–$200k 1.1%

$200k+ 0.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	15.1%
$10k–$15k	12.9%
$15k–$25k	19.9%
$25k–$35k	16.4%
$35k–$50k	10.0%
$50k–$75k	10.7%
$75k–$100k	7.8%
$100k–$150k	5.1%
$150k–$200k	1.1%
$200k+	0.9%
Median income	$26,101

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 39.2%

$50k–$100k 33.2%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 11.7%

$200k–$300k 6.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$69,400
Median rent / month	$847
Owner occupied	42.1%
Renter occupied	57.9%
Vacant	33.5%
Single-family detached	58.6%
Large apartment buildings	16.1%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.25

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.1%
2000–2009	3.2%
1990–1999	3.8%
1980–1989	1.4%
1970–1979	4.0%
1960–1969	7.4%
1950–1959	9.0%
1940–1949	13.6%
1939 or earlier	54.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	17.0%
2 bedrooms	29.7%
3 bedrooms	36.1%
4 bedrooms	14.3%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	25.3%
1 vehicle	52.5%
2 vehicles	15.5%
3 or more	6.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	84.1%
Electricity	14.4%
Propane / LP gas	0.2%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	331	14.3%
Cohabiting couple	129	5.6%
Male householder, no spouse	611	26.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,241	53.7%
Households with children under 18	677	29.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	824	35.6%
Average household size	2.45

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	56.1%	49.7%
Married	19.0%	19.2%
Separated	5.8%	3.8%
Widowed	6.3%	15.1%
Divorced	12.8%	12.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 5.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.2%

HS graduate 45.7%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 4.1%

Bachelor's degree 4.7%

Graduate / professional 4.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.3%
Bachelor's or higher	8.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	87	4.8%
Kindergarten	217	11.9%
Elementary school	766	42.0%
High school	409	22.4%
College / grad school	345	18.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.7%

Manufacturing 17.8%

Professional & management 13.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.3%

Retail trade 7.3%

Public administration 5.7%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Other services 4.9%

Construction 3.5%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.4%
Service	28.3%
Sales & office	19.6%
Natural resources & construction	4.9%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	15.7%
Self-employed	4.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.7%
Carpool	10.5%
Public transit	2.7%
Walk	4.0%
Work from home	5.2%
Other means	3.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	23.0

Poverty

All people 46.1%

Under 18 years 68.2%

18 and over 35.8%

Married-couple families 17.8%

Female-led households 57.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.9%
Retirement income	20.2%
Supplemental Security	10.9%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	39.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	53.9%
High blood pressure	52.1%
High cholesterol	32.3%
Diabetes	25.3%
Heart disease	10.2%
Stroke	7.6%
Asthma	13.9%
Arthritis	35.9%
Kidney disease	5.7%
Pulmonary disease	12.3%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	29.4%
Binge drinking	10.4%
No physical activity	45.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	46.4%
Depression	18.8%
Fair or poor health	35.4%
Poor mental health	18.0%
Poor physical health	18.9%
No health insurance	22.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	83.4%
Visited dentist	39.5%
Cholesterol screening	89.5%
Teeth loss	34.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	287	7.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.8%
Under 18	2.8%
18–64 years	24.1%
65 and over	38.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	29.8%
Public insurance	69.5%
No insurance	8.6%
Uninsured under 19	3.2%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	5,527	94.1%
Spanish	40	0.7%
Other Indo-European	23	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	5,819	99.1%
Born in same state	5,802	98.8%
Born in different state	3,234	55.1%
Foreign born	17	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	54	0.9%
Not a US citizen	48	88.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	118	2%
Arab	52	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	16	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.4%
Internet access	79.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46402

What city is ZIP code 46402 in?

ZIP code 46402 is primarily assigned to Gary, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46402 in?

ZIP code 46402 falls within Lake County, Indiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46402?

46% of residents in ZIP code 46402 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 46402 family-oriented?

31% of residents in ZIP code 46402 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 46402?

9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 46402 mostly rentals?

58% of occupied units in ZIP code 46402 are renter-occupied.

What timezone is ZIP code 46402 in?

ZIP code 46402 observes the CST timezone.