Hammond receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hammond
Gary
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 43%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
49 · Bottom 47%
vs41 · Bottom 34%
Climate
63 · Bottom 25%
vs62 · Bottom 20%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 23%
vs81 · Top 22%
Housing affordability
85 · Top 42%
vs70 · Bottom 34%
Schools
8 · Bottom 1%
vs6 · Bottom 1%
Access
97 · Top 29%
vs97 · Top 29%
Economic stability
41 · Bottom 19%
vs15 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Hammond | Gary | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 76,768 | 68,113 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $55,504 | $38,731 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,736 | $23,453 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,376/sq mi | 1,364/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $159,900 | $94,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,134 | $1,012 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 62.4% | 49.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 7.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.3% | 0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.1% | 33.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 10 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 42.1% | 25.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.4" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 4 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 28.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 36.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 19 | 22 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.00 | 18.05 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 8.7% | 5.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 18.2% | 10.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 54.9% | 73.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Full profiles: Hammond, IN · Gary, IN · How this is calculated: methodology