46406 ZIP Code — Gary, IN

Lake County, Indiana

ZIP code 46406 is located in Gary, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 13.48 square miles and serves a population of 8,730 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 46406

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $66,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 49%.

Median household income is $34,550. Poverty affects 35% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 30% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 38% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

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

College attainment at 10% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (49%), diabetes (20%), smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46406 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.

8,730

population

13.48

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

46406 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46406

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46406. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gary	Acceptable
Gary	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46404 Gary (1.8 mi) 46323 Hammond (2.9 mi) 46402 Gary (3.3 mi) 46312 East Chicago (4 mi) 46408 Gary (4.3 mi) 46407 Gary (4.4 mi) 46322 Highland (4.7 mi) 46324 Hammond (4.9 mi) 46319 Griffith (5.7 mi) 46320 Hammond (5.7 mi) 46409 Gary (5.9 mi) 46327 Hammond (5.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,730
Population density	648 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	13.48 sq mi
Water area	1.42 sq mi
Latitude	41.6025
Longitude	-87.4046
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	69.6%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	23.7%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.7%	4.1%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

8,730

Population

648

People per sq mi

31.8

Median age

$34,550

Median household income

$19,855

Per capita income

$66,300

Median home value

$959

Median monthly rent

49.0%

Home ownership

35.0%

Poverty rate

10.8%

Unemployment

2,396

Housing units

10.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

377

Under 5

429

453

5–9

515

349

10–14

396

204

15–19

232

306

20–24

348

498

25–34

565

359

35–44

409

467

45–54

530

223

55–59

254

202

60–64

229

417

65–74

474

152

75–84

173

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,890	33.1%
18 and over	5,840	66.9%
65 and over	1,385	15.9%
Median age	31.8 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 56.8%

White 19.8%

Hispanic or Latino 10.8%

Two or more races 6.8%

Other race 5.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	5,561	56.8%
White	1,932	19.8%
Hispanic or Latino	1,052	10.8%
Two or more races	668	6.8%
Other race	532	5.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	0.3%
Asian	10	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	69.6%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	23.7%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	4.9%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.7%	4.1%	4.5%

Under $10k 9.0%

$10k–$15k 4.3%

$15k–$25k 13.6%

$25k–$35k 24.2%

$35k–$50k 15.2%

$50k–$75k 13.3%

$75k–$100k 8.7%

$100k–$150k 7.5%

$150k–$200k 2.7%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.0%
$10k–$15k	4.3%
$15k–$25k	13.6%
$25k–$35k	24.2%
$35k–$50k	15.2%
$50k–$75k	13.3%
$75k–$100k	8.7%
$100k–$150k	7.5%
$150k–$200k	2.7%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$34,550

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 32.8%

$50k–$100k 32.1%

$100k–$150k 19.4%

$150k–$200k 6.9%

$200k–$300k 5.3%

$300k–$500k 2.7%

$500k–$1M 0.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$66,300
Median rent / month	$959
Owner occupied	49.0%
Renter occupied	51.0%
Vacant	19.2%
Single-family detached	75.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	2.9%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.37

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	1.4%
1990–1999	1.4%
1980–1989	7.3%
1970–1979	28.1%
1960–1969	15.4%
1950–1959	21.8%
1940–1949	10.7%
1939 or earlier	13.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	4.1%
2 bedrooms	44.8%
3 bedrooms	39.3%
4 bedrooms	9.1%
5+ bedrooms	2.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.0%
1 vehicle	52.1%
2 vehicles	29.0%
3 or more	9.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	80.5%
Electricity	16.8%
Propane / LP gas	1.9%
Wood	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	652	19.8%
Cohabiting couple	205	6.2%
Male householder, no spouse	696	21.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,736	52.8%
Households with children under 18	1,323	40.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,044	31.7%
Average household size	2.65

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	42.0%	52.9%
Married	26.4%	19.4%
Separated	6.3%	3.4%
Widowed	8.1%	11.4%
Divorced	17.3%	12.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 9.3%

Some HS, no diploma 10.9%

HS graduate 40.4%

Some college, no degree 20.4%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 7.1%

Graduate / professional 3.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	79.8%
Bachelor's or higher	10.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	118	5.3%
Kindergarten	248	11.1%
Elementary school	1,259	56.3%
High school	376	16.8%
College / grad school	235	10.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.2%

Manufacturing 12.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.9%

Retail trade 10.9%

Professional & management 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 6.8%

Construction 5.7%

Other services 4.5%

Public administration 3.6%

Finance & real estate 3.3%

Wholesale trade 2.0%

Information 1.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	20.5%
Service	24.3%
Sales & office	27.2%
Natural resources & construction	8.2%
Production & transportation	19.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	86.1%
Government	7.5%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	1.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.0%
Carpool	18.1%
Public transit	1.3%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	0.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.4

Poverty

All people 35.0%

Under 18 years 51.8%

18 and over 26.8%

Married-couple families 7.1%

Female-led households 46.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.4%
Retirement income	28.3%
Supplemental Security	10.2%
Cash public assistance	3.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	30.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	49.1%
High blood pressure	45.3%
High cholesterol	31.1%
Diabetes	20.3%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	12.4%
Arthritis	32.6%
Kidney disease	4.5%
Pulmonary disease	10.6%
Cancer	5.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.4%
Binge drinking	12.6%
No physical activity	40.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	42.7%
Depression	19.7%
Fair or poor health	29.1%
Poor mental health	17.3%
Poor physical health	16.3%
No health insurance	21.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.1%
Visited dentist	45.2%
Cholesterol screening	88.9%
Teeth loss	27.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	420	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.4%
Under 18	4.1%
18–64 years	19.9%
65 and over	43.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	38.0%
Public insurance	60.1%
No insurance	12.7%
Uninsured under 19	12.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,924	90.8%
Spanish	154	1.9%
Other Indo-European	154	1.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,391	96.1%
Born in same state	8,361	95.8%
Born in different state	5,455	62.5%
Foreign born	30	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	339	3.9%
Not a US citizen	162	47.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	360	4.1%
French	259	3%
Arab	84	1%
Irish	18	0.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	11	0.1%
German	10	0.1%
Norwegian	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.7%
Internet access	88.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46406

What city is ZIP code 46406 in?

ZIP code 46406 is primarily assigned to Gary, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46406 in?

ZIP code 46406 falls within Lake County, Indiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46406?

35% of residents in ZIP code 46406 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 46406 family-oriented?

33% of residents in ZIP code 46406 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 46406?

10% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 46406?

Health data for ZIP code 46406 shows elevated rates of obesity (49%) and diabetes (20%) and smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 46406 in?

ZIP code 46406 observes the CST timezone.