Indiana

Gary, Indiana Population in 2024 – Latest Census Data and Analysis – Indiana Environmental Reporter

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2024

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Gary, Indiana Population in 2024 – Latest Census Data and Analysis – Indiana Environmental Reporter

Gary, Indiana, a city known for its industrial history, has seen significant demographic shifts over the years.

The industrial decline is a major reason for the significant changes we can see today.

Let us talk about Gary, Indiana’s population in 2024 in greater detail.

Population Overview

Gary, Indiana’s population, as of 2024, is 67,199.

The city has experienced a significant decline of the population in the last couple of decades after a massive rise during the first few decades of the 20th century.

Year	Population
1910	16,802
1920	55,378
1930	100,426
1940	111,719
1950	133,911
1960	178,320
1970	175,415
1980	151,968
1990	116,646
2000	102,746
2010	80,294
2020	69,093

Race demographics are one of the major shifts the city has experienced during that period. Today, it looks like this:

Race/Ethnicity	Percentage (%)
Black or African American	77.56
White	13.08
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.11
Asian	0.26
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.01
Some other race	2.59
Two or more races (multiracial)	6.39

Age and Gender Distribution

The median age in Gary is 36.9 years, indicating a relatively young population.

The age group distribution shows a balanced representation of different age brackets, with a noticeable number of young adults and middle-aged residents.

It basically looks like this:

Age Group	Male	Female
Under 5 years	2,691	2,174
5 to 9 years	2,674	3,113
10 to 14 years	2,781	2,448
15 to 19 years	2,264	2,427
20 to 24 years	2,016	2,264
25 to 29 years	1,782	2,140
30 to 34 years	1,723	2,345
35 to 39 years	2,171	2,039
40 to 44 years	1,280	2,438
45 to 49 years	1,621	1,584
50 to 54 years	2,104	2,008
55 to 59 years	1,957	1,943
60 to 64 years	1,806	2,555
65 to 69 years	1,857	2,688
70 to 74 years	1,525	1,837
75 to 79 years	754	1,114
80 to 84 years	719	828
85 years and over	481	985

The gender ratio is relatively even, reflecting a typical urban demographic.

A balanced age and gender distribution has implications for the city’s labor market, educational services, and healthcare needs.

Economic Indicators

Gary residents need an annual income of $50,160 or an hourly wage of $24.12 to afford a two-bedroom home.

In stark contrast, the median household income in the city is significantly lower at $36,153. This disparity underscores the financial strain on many families trying to secure adequate housing.

The high cost of living relative to income levels highlights the urgent need for affordable housing initiatives and economic support for residents.

Poverty Rate

The poverty rate in Gary is alarmingly high, with 27.9% of families living below the poverty line.

This statistic reflects the broader economic challenges faced by the community and points to a critical need for targeted poverty alleviation programs.

Economic development strategies and support services are essential to help lift families out of poverty and provide a more stable financial foundation for the city’s residents.

Employment and Major Industries

Employment status in Gary varies, with key industries providing most of the job opportunities. The major sectors include:

Manufacturing:
- Traditionally a cornerstone of Gary’s economy, manufacturing continues to provide numerous jobs, although the sector has seen fluctuations in employment levels due to broader economic trends and automation.
Healthcare:
- This sector is a vital part of the local economy, offering a range of employment opportunities from direct patient care to administrative roles.
Retail:
- Retail jobs provide employment for many residents, though these positions often come with lower wages and less job security compared to other sectors.

Economic Challenges and Policy Implications

The city’s economic indicators underscore the importance of several strategic initiatives:

Job Creation:
- Developing policies that attract new businesses and support existing ones is crucial for creating more job opportunities.
Workforce Development:
- Enhancing the skills and employability of the workforce through education and training programs is vital.
Economic Policies:
- Implementing policies aimed at reducing poverty and increasing household income is essential.

Improving Quality of Life

Addressing these economic challenges is crucial for improving the quality of life for Gary’s residents.

By focusing on job creation, workforce development, and effective economic policies, the city can work towards reducing poverty rates and increasing household incomes.

These efforts are essential for building a more prosperous and equitable community.

Housing and Living Conditions

The homeownership rate in Gary serves as a crucial indicator of economic stability and community investment.

High homeownership rates typically correlate with a stronger local economy and more engaged residents, as homeowners are more likely to invest in their properties and the surrounding community.

Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units

The median value of owner-occupied housing units in Gary reflects the city’s housing market conditions.

The metric helps assess the affordability and desirability of living in Gary, which can influence population growth and economic development.

A higher median value often indicates a robust housing market, while a lower median value may highlight affordability issues or economic challenges.

Average Commute Time

The average commute time for residents provides insight into the city’s transportation infrastructure and access to employment opportunities.

Shorter commute times generally suggest better infrastructure and closer proximity to job centers, enhancing residents’ quality of life by reducing the time spent traveling and increasing work-life balance.

Importance of Housing and Living Conditions

Understanding housing and living conditions is vital for developing policies that promote:

Affordable Housing:
- Ensuring that housing costs remain within reach for all residents, especially those with lower incomes.
Improved Living Standards:
- Enhancing the quality of housing and access to essential services to improve residents’ overall well-being.
Community Well-being:
- Creating a supportive environment that fosters community engagement and social cohesion.

Impact on Seniors

Nearly 13,000 Gary residents are aged 65 or older, a population disproportionately affected by the housing crisis.

Seniors often face fixed incomes and rising healthcare costs, making affordable and stable housing even more critical.

Addressing the housing needs of this demographic is essential for their well-being and the overall health of the community.

Quality of Life

These factors—homeownership rates, housing values, commute times, and the housing needs of seniors—play a significant role in shaping the quality of life in Gary.

By focusing on these areas, policymakers can develop strategies that enhance living conditions, promote economic stability, and foster a thriving community.

Summary

The demographic analysis of Gary, Indiana, reveals key insights into the city’s population trends, economic indicators, and living conditions.

These findings have important implications for local policy and future planning efforts aimed at revitalizing Gary and improving the well-being of its residents.

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Indiana

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

Published

12 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Statewide Silver Alert issued for two missing Indiana children

RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.

Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.

The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.

She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.

The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.

Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.

Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police

Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.

Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.

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Indiana

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

Published

24 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis firefighter hospitalized after battling fire at vacant home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.

According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.

The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.

It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.

According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.

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Indiana

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

IHSAA football: 10 sleeper teams to watch in Central Indiana for the 2026 season

The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.

I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:

Brebeuf Jesuit

A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.

There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.

Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.

North Central

It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.

Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).

There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.

Zionsville

The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.

There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.

The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.

Martinsville

The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.

Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.

The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.

Hamilton Heights

Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.

The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).

The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.

The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.

Mt. Vernon

This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.

Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.

The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.

Monrovia

The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.

The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).

Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.

Cardinal Ritter

Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.

Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.

The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.

Greenwood

It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.

Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.

Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.

Scecina

The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.

Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.

The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

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