46409 ZIP Code, Gary, IN
46409 is a ZIP code in Gary, Indiana in Lake County. It covers 3.6 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 46407, 46408 and 46404. 7,184 people live here in 2,648 households. At about 2,007 people per square mile it has suburban density, and owners and renters are mixed (45% own). Median household income is $44,667, well below the Indiana median of $71,957; 28% of residents moved in during the past year.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Gary, IN
- County: Lake County
- Land area: 3.6 sq mi
- Population: 7,184
- Median household income: $44,667
- Carrier routes: 6 (2,974 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 7,184 |
| Households | 2,648 |
| Median household income | $44,667 |
| Income per person | $25,568 |
| Median age | 34.7 |
| Homeowners | 44.5% |
| Median home value | $78,800 |
| Median rent | $1,195 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 26.9 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 31.1% |
| Moved in the past year | 27.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 30.0% |
| Broadband internet | 84.4% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 6.7% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 6.8% |
| $10–15K | 7.8% |
| $15–25K | 10.0% |
| $25–35K | 14.0% |
| $35–50K | 16.6% |
| $50–75K | 18.8% |
| $75–100K | 10.3% |
| $100–150K | 6.3% |
| $150–200K | 4.8% |
| $200K+ | 4.5% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 11.5% |
| 10–19 | 19.6% |
| 20–24 | 9.6% |
| 25–34 | 9.9% |
| 35–44 | 16.3% |
| 45–54 | 7.2% |
| 55–64 | 12.5% |
| 65–74 | 8.8% |
| 75+ | 4.7% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 11.0% |
| Owned outright | 17.5% |
| Rented | 35.0% |
| Vacant | 36.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 91.8% |
| Townhome | 1.4% |
| 2–4 units | 3.4% |
| 5–19 units | 1.7% |
| 20+ units | 1.2% |
| Mobile / other | 0.4% |
Businesses in 46409
74 business establishments with 503 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 20
- Retail Trade: 16
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 13
- Accommodation and Food Services: 6
- Finance and Insurance: 4
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 4
- Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: 3
EDDM carrier routes
46409 has 6 USPS carrier routes with 2,974 residential and 169 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 46409
46409 has 6 USPS carrier routes (6 city (C)) with 2,974 residential and 169 business mailboxes. Routes range from 430 homes (C011) to 544 homes (C016); the median route has 502 homes. The Census counted 2,648 households in 46409 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 3 |
| 500–749 | 3 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 46409 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C002 — USPS business mailboxes 56, 484 homes
- Route C011 — USPS business mailboxes 43, 430 homes
- Route C004 — USPS business mailboxes 33, 452 homes
- Route C005 — USPS business mailboxes 27, 544 homes
- Route C016 — USPS business mailboxes 5, 544 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 46409
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C002 | City | 484 | 56 | $27,394 | — | — | — |
| C004 | City | 452 | 33 | $31,420 | — | — | — |
| C005 | City | 544 | 27 | $31,420 | — | — | — |
| C011 | City | 430 | 43 | $48,671 | — | — | — |
| C014 | City | 520 | 5 | $41,460 | — | — | — |
| C016 | City | 544 | 5 | $25,341 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 46409 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 46407 — Gary city, IN (2.1 mi)
- 46408 — Gary city, IN (2.3 mi)
- 46404 — Gary city, IN (3.6 mi)
- 46405 — Lake Station city, IN (3.6 mi)
- 46342 — Hobart city, IN (4.6 mi)
- 46410 — Merrillville town, IN (4.6 mi)
- 46402 — Gary city, IN (4.9 mi)
- 46319 — Griffith town, IN (5.4 mi)
Areas that include 46409
- Gary, IN ZIP codes — 8 ZIP codes
- Lake County ZIP codes — 28 ZIP codes
- Indiana ZIP code data
Where it ranks
- No. 2 of 26: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Lake County
- No. 4 of 26: lowest median age in Lake County
- No. 4 of 8: highest median household income in Gary, IN
- No. 4 of 8: highest share of households with children in Gary, IN
- No. 2 of 8: highest share of residents who moved in during the past year in Gary, IN
- No. 3 of 8: lowest median age in Gary, IN
- No. 3 of 8: fastest population growth in Gary, IN
Mail every home in 46409
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 46409, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 46409 in?
- 46409 is a Gary, IN mailing address. By land area, 99% lies inside Gary.
- What county is 46409 in?
- 46409 is in Lake County.
- What is the population of 46409?
- About 7,184 people (±1,033), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 6,975.
- What is the median household income in 46409?
- $44,667 (±$8,025), compared with $71,957 for Indiana as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 46409?
- 6 USPS carrier routes with 2,974 residential and 169 business mailboxes (3,143 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 46409?
- The closest, measured center to center: 46407 (2.1 mi, Gary), 46408 (2.3 mi, Gary), 46404 (3.6 mi, Gary), 46405 (3.6 mi, Lake Station), 46342 (4.6 mi, Hobart) and 46410 (4.6 mi, Merrillville).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.