Gary 72 Excellent
Gary Livability #97 ranked city in Indiana#5,592 ranked city in the USARanks better than 80% of areas

Pros and Cons of Living in Gary

PROS
  • Commute

    A high commute score suggests convenient, easy access to public transportation, with shorter-than-average work commute times to work.

  • Cost Of Living

    The cost of living in this region is notably lower than the national average, encompassing everyday goods, housing, utilities, transportation and health care expenses.

  • Housing

    High scores in the housing category are attributed to this area, possibly pointing to a favorable home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

CONS
  • Crime

    This area exhibits elevated crime rates per 100,000 residents, which may suggest it's a potentially unsafe place to reside. These rates encompass both property and violent crimes.

  • Employment

    Low income levels and high unemployment rates results in a low score in the employment category. It could prove difficult to find well-paying employment in this area.

  • Schools

    The lower than average schools score may be influenced by below-average education levels, subpar reading and math scores and the lack of access to local elementary and high schools.

  • Ratings

    Surveys and polls conducted by AreaVibes with residents of the area revealed unfavorable results concerning the walkability of amenities, the availability of parks and public transit access.

New Real Estate Listings in Gary Area
Search Homes for Sale in Gary, IN

What's it like Living in Gary?

Located in the state of Indiana, Gary is a moderately-sized city with a population of 75,486 inhabitants. 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. Gary is very likely to be a great place to live for singles as only 38%, of the population (over fifteen) are classified as married. The average American spends about 26 minutes on their one way commute to work each day. Lower travel times can increase overall happiness and allow for more time to be spent with family and friends. While living in Gary, your commute times will be about average, with a one way commute time of 29 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new city 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. To help you find the best places to live in and around Gary, AreaVibes has created a livability score using key metrics like amenities, crime, education, housing and more.

Gary, IN receives 70/100 for its livability score; this results in a ranking of #101 in Indiana and #6,309 in the USA. For each of the livability categories, we can establish that Gary ranks very well for cost of living (A+) and housing (B). There is at least one category that did not score well in Gary. The following was graded with a disappointing score: crime (F), education (F) and employment (F).

Finding affordable real estate and housing in Gary can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category. A healthy real estate market can lead to wealth appreciation for property owners, as rising property values can contribute to homeowners' equity, financial stability and the ability to build long-term wealth.

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. The median home price for Gary homes is $68,400, which is 45.9% lower than the Indiana average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Gary, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.2, which is 12% 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?

1. Select a livability score between 1-100
0
Awful
25
Poor
50
Average
75
Good
100
Great
2. Select any tags that apply to this area
View results

Compare Gary, IN Livability

      vs

      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).