46409 ZIP Code — Gary, IN

Lake County, Indiana

ZIP code 46409 is located in Gary, Indiana, within Lake County. It covers approximately 3.58 square miles and serves a population of 7,050 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 46409

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $69,500. Renters make up the majority at 55%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $39,554. Poverty affects 29% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 37% 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 service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (52%), diabetes (20%), smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46409 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.

7,050

population

3.58

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

46409 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46409

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46409. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Gary	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46407 Gary (2.2 mi) 46408 Gary (2.8 mi) 46405 Lake Station (3.4 mi) 46404 Gary (4.1 mi) 46410 Merrillville (4.5 mi) 46342 Hobart (4.7 mi) 46402 Gary (4.8 mi) 46403 Gary (5.4 mi) 46319 Griffith (5.5 mi) 46406 Gary (5.9 mi) 46322 Highland (7.1 mi) 46375 Schererville (7.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	7,050
Population density	1,969 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	3.58 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	41.5457
Longitude	-87.3204
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	71.9%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.1%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	6.1%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	4.1%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

7,050

Population

1,969

People per sq mi

35.1

Median age

$39,554

Median household income

$17,818

Per capita income

$69,500

Median home value

$1,122

Median monthly rent

45.0%

Home ownership

28.8%

Poverty rate

18.5%

Unemployment

2,957

Housing units

12.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

158

Under 5

185

227

5–9

266

418

10–14

492

255

15–19

299

274

20–24

323

284

25–34

334

504

35–44

592

264

45–54

310

223

55–59

263

163

60–64

192

349

65–74

411

109

75–84

129

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,081	29.5%
18 and over	4,969	70.5%
65 and over	1,024	14.5%
Median age	35.1 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 65.5%

Two or more races 14.4%

Hispanic or Latino 10.3%

White 8.8%

Other race 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	5,146	65.5%
Two or more races	1,133	14.4%
Hispanic or Latino	810	10.3%
White	695	8.8%
Other race	61	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	71.9%	43.6%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.1%	31.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	6.1%	21.2%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.0%	4.1%	4.5%

Under $10k 9.8%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 13.8%

$25k–$35k 13.6%

$35k–$50k 20.9%

$50k–$75k 20.2%

$75k–$100k 5.8%

$100k–$150k 7.3%

$150k–$200k 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.8%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	13.8%
$25k–$35k	13.6%
$35k–$50k	20.9%
$50k–$75k	20.2%
$75k–$100k	5.8%
$100k–$150k	7.3%
$150k–$200k	1.5%
Median income	$39,554

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 25.8%

$50k–$100k 53.5%

$100k–$150k 6.5%

$150k–$200k 5.8%

$200k–$300k 8.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$69,500
Median rent / month	$1,122
Owner occupied	45.0%
Renter occupied	55.0%
Vacant	40.6%
Single-family detached	88.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.9%
Mobile homes	0.6%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.38

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.8%
2000–2009	2.4%
1990–1999	0.5%
1980–1989	1.3%
1970–1979	9.6%
1960–1969	17.7%
1950–1959	29.8%
1940–1949	14.6%
1939 or earlier	23.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.4%
2 bedrooms	37.6%
3 bedrooms	46.0%
4 bedrooms	11.6%
5+ bedrooms	4.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	6.5%
1 vehicle	52.8%
2 vehicles	30.3%
3 or more	10.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	92.7%
Electricity	5.0%
Propane / LP gas	1.1%
Fuel oil	0.8%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	607	23.3%
Cohabiting couple	171	6.6%
Male householder, no spouse	504	19.3%
Female householder, no spouse	1,323	50.8%
Households with children under 18	861	33.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	867	33.3%
Average household size	2.70

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	56.5%	48.4%
Married	28.7%	20.9%
Separated	1.9%	4.7%
Widowed	2.4%	9.5%
Divorced	10.5%	16.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.2%

Some HS, no diploma 8.0%

HS graduate 45.0%

Some college, no degree 21.8%

Associate's degree 9.3%

Bachelor's degree 6.8%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.9%
Bachelor's or higher	12.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	122	6.0%
Kindergarten	65	3.2%
Elementary school	1,184	57.9%
High school	561	27.4%
College / grad school	114	5.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.5%

Retail trade 16.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.9%

Manufacturing 10.4%

Transportation & utilities 8.3%

Professional & management 6.7%

Public administration 6.5%

Other services 5.9%

Construction 3.6%

Finance & real estate 1.3%

Information 0.9%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	16.7%
Service	29.7%
Sales & office	24.0%
Natural resources & construction	10.1%
Production & transportation	19.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.6%
Government	11.3%
Self-employed	3.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.7%
Carpool	9.9%
Public transit	5.6%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	2.5%
Other means	7.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.4

Poverty

All people 28.8%

Under 18 years 44.5%

18 and over 22.4%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 36.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.6%
Retirement income	25.2%
Supplemental Security	17.6%
Cash public assistance	3.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	37.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	51.6%
High blood pressure	46.0%
High cholesterol	29.2%
Diabetes	20.3%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	5.4%
Asthma	13.2%
Arthritis	30.6%
Kidney disease	4.3%
Pulmonary disease	9.5%
Cancer	5.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.4%
Binge drinking	12.2%
No physical activity	39.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	45.8%
Depression	18.8%
Fair or poor health	28.8%
Poor mental health	17.7%
Poor physical health	15.7%
No health insurance	21.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	81.6%
Visited dentist	44.4%
Cholesterol screening	89.3%
Teeth loss	27.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	221	4.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.5%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	16.8%
65 and over	30.2%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	35.3%
Public insurance	68.1%
No insurance	5.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,707	95.1%
Spanish	51	0.8%
Other Indo-European	51	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,015	99.5%
Born in same state	6,970	98.9%
Born in different state	4,468	63.4%
Foreign born	45	0.6%
Naturalized citizen	35	0.5%
Not a US citizen	11	31.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	122	1.7%
English	73	1%
Arab	62	0.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	54	0.8%
Irish	8	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.0%
Internet access	91.6%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46409

What city is ZIP code 46409 in?

ZIP code 46409 is primarily assigned to Gary, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46409 in?

ZIP code 46409 falls within Lake County, Indiana.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46409?

29% of residents in ZIP code 46409 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 46409?

13% 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 46409 mostly rentals?

55% of occupied units in ZIP code 46409 are renter-occupied.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 46409?

Health data for ZIP code 46409 shows elevated rates of obesity (52%) and diabetes (20%) and smoking (27%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 46409 in?

ZIP code 46409 observes the CST timezone.