Living in Gary, IN
Suburb in Indiana
Gary is a suburb in Indiana, home to about 69,000 people, with 4.5 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Gary a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $100k and rents for $1,610 a month
- Easy flying: MDW is 25 mi away
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Strong healthcare: 10 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Fewer graduates: 14% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Higher taxes: about $1,275 state income tax per resident, 1.1% property tax
- Few dog parks: 4 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Gary ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Gary: common questions
What is the cost of living in Gary?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $100k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,610 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 104, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Gary?
Indiana collects about $1,275 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.1% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Gary safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.5× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Gary?
Gary has cold winters: winter days average around 35°F and summer days around 80°F, with roughly 27″ of snow a year.
Does Gary get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 12 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.18 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Gary?
The nearest major airport is MDW, about 25 mi away.
How Gary scores
Each bar compares Gary with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Gary right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.