46404 ZIP Code — Gary, IN

Lake County, Indiana

ZIP code 46404 is located in Gary, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 6.01 square miles and serves a population of 16,851 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 46404

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $86,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 50%.

Median household income is $39,281. Poverty affects 30% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 26 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (53%), diabetes (25%), smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46404 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.

16,851

population

6.01

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

46404 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46404

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46404. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gary	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46406 Gary (1.8 mi) 46402 Gary (2.7 mi) 46407 Gary (2.8 mi) 46408 Gary (2.8 mi) 46323 Hammond (4 mi) 46409 Gary (4.1 mi) 46322 Highland (4.8 mi) 46319 Griffith (5 mi) 46312 East Chicago (5.7 mi) 46405 Lake Station (5.9 mi) 46324 Hammond (6 mi) 46403 Gary (6.7 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	16,851
Population density	2,804 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	6.01 sq mi
Water area	0.01 sq mi
Latitude	41.5856
Longitude	-87.3794
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	65.8%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.9%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.6%	4.1%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

16,851

Population

2,804

People per sq mi

35.2

Median age

$39,281

Median household income

$21,211

Per capita income

$86,500

Median home value

$969

Median monthly rent

49.6%

Home ownership

30.4%

Poverty rate

10.3%

Unemployment

4,687

Housing units

15.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

539

Under 5

609

633

5–9

714

569

10–14

643

621

15–19

701

560

20–24

633

1,013

25–34

1,144

813

35–44

918

864

45–54

976

399

55–59

450

391

60–64

442

911

65–74

1,028

367

75–84

415

234

85+

264

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,501	26.7%
18 and over	12,350	73.3%
65 and over	3,219	19.1%
Median age	35.2 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 88.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4.2%

Two or more races 3.6%

Other race 2.5%

White 1.2%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	15,554	88.4%
Hispanic or Latino	736	4.2%
Two or more races	628	3.6%
Other race	434	2.5%
White	206	1.2%
Asian	29	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.8%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.9%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	10.7%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.6%	4.1%	4.5%

Under $10k 15.9%

$10k–$15k 7.0%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$25k–$35k 14.7%

$35k–$50k 9.9%

$50k–$75k 20.8%

$75k–$100k 7.6%

$100k–$150k 10.8%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 0.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	15.9%
$10k–$15k	7.0%
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$25k–$35k	14.7%
$35k–$50k	9.9%
$50k–$75k	20.8%
$75k–$100k	7.6%
$100k–$150k	10.8%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	0.3%
Median income	$39,281

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 25.4%

$50k–$100k 36.8%

$100k–$150k 18.5%

$150k–$200k 10.1%

$200k–$300k 6.0%

$300k–$500k 2.4%

$500k–$1M 0.5%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$86,500
Median rent / month	$969
Owner occupied	49.6%
Renter occupied	50.4%
Vacant	19.5%
Single-family detached	74.4%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.21

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.8%
2000–2009	4.5%
1990–1999	2.3%
1980–1989	3.6%
1970–1979	16.9%
1960–1969	21.7%
1950–1959	15.0%
1940–1949	16.4%
1939 or earlier	18.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	3.4%
2 bedrooms	35.5%
3 bedrooms	45.5%
4 bedrooms	13.0%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	12.8%
1 vehicle	46.5%
2 vehicles	26.5%
3 or more	14.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	87.3%
Electricity	11.6%
Propane / LP gas	0.4%
Fuel oil	0.3%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,523	24.0%
Cohabiting couple	351	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	1,242	19.6%
Female householder, no spouse	3,227	50.9%
Households with children under 18	2,214	34.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,175	34.3%
Average household size	2.63

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	51.7%	47.8%
Married	28.8%	23.0%
Separated	2.9%	3.0%
Widowed	3.4%	12.3%
Divorced	13.2%	13.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.8%

Some HS, no diploma 8.7%

HS graduate 32.8%

Some college, no degree 31.1%

Associate's degree 8.8%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 4.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.4%
Bachelor's or higher	15.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	450	10.6%
Kindergarten	259	6.1%
Elementary school	1,933	45.4%
High school	1,153	27.1%
College / grad school	462	10.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.0%

Manufacturing 15.0%

Retail trade 11.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.1%

Professional & management 10.6%

Transportation & utilities 9.7%

Other services 4.9%

Public administration 4.8%

Construction 2.4%

Finance & real estate 2.2%

Information 0.8%

Wholesale trade 0.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.5%
Service	29.4%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	4.1%
Production & transportation	21.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	88.3%
Government	10.4%
Self-employed	1.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	84.1%
Carpool	8.6%
Public transit	1.7%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	3.1%
Other means	2.6%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.2

Poverty

All people 30.4%

Under 18 years 59.8%

18 and over 19.8%

Married-couple families 7.7%

Female-led households 36.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.3%
Retirement income	27.5%
Supplemental Security	8.8%
Cash public assistance	3.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	52.9%
High blood pressure	53.1%
High cholesterol	32.9%
Diabetes	25.1%
Heart disease	10.0%
Stroke	7.5%
Asthma	13.5%
Arthritis	36.7%
Kidney disease	5.7%
Pulmonary disease	11.4%
Cancer	6.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.5%
Binge drinking	10.1%
No physical activity	43.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	45.9%
Depression	17.8%
Fair or poor health	32.7%
Poor mental health	16.9%
Poor physical health	17.6%
No health insurance	20.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	84.5%
Visited dentist	43.2%
Cholesterol screening	91.0%
Teeth loss	31.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,182	9.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.2%
Under 18	6.8%
18–64 years	13.7%
65 and over	42.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	42.8%
Public insurance	58.4%
No insurance	10.3%
Uninsured under 19	6.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,703	93.2%
Spanish	74	0.5%
Other Indo-European	72	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	2	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,741	99.3%
Born in same state	16,729	99.3%
Born in different state	9,973	59.2%
Foreign born	12	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	110	0.7%
Not a US citizen	49	44.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	229	1.4%
French	40	0.2%
Irish	35	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	8	0%
Italian	7	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.6%
Internet access	91.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46404

What city is ZIP code 46404 in?

ZIP code 46404 is primarily assigned to Gary, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46404 in?

ZIP code 46404 falls within Lake County, Indiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46404?

30% of residents in ZIP code 46404 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 46404?

Health data for ZIP code 46404 shows elevated rates of obesity (53%) and diabetes (25%) and smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Does ZIP code 46404 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 46404 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 46404?

The median home value in ZIP code 46404 is $86,500.

What timezone is ZIP code 46404 in?

ZIP code 46404 observes the CST timezone.