Gary vs Merrillville
Gary, Indiana versus Merrillville, Indiana: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Gary and Merrillville score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Gary | Merrillville |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $37k | $62k |
| Cost of Living | $44k | $44k |
| Home Value | $82k | $177k |
| Monthly Rent | $929 | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.15% | 0.97% |
| Income Tax | 4.70% | 4.70% |
| Sales Tax | 7.00% | 7.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 9.55% | 9.76% |
| Unemployment | 13.5% | 8.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 26°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 75°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.8 in | 40.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 26.6 in | 26.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 245 days | 208 days |
| Summer Humidity | 63°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 88 days | 89 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 17.0 | 50.1 |
| Air Quality | 54 AQI | 54 AQI |
| School Quality | 86.4 | 52.4 |
| Violent Crime | 2077/100k | 137/100k |
| Property Crime | 1991/100k | 302/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 69,136 | 36,214 |
| Median Age | 36.9 | 39.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.38 | 0.63 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.87 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | D+15 | D+15 |
| White (%) | 9.7% | 32.6% |
| Black (%) | 77.4% | 45.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 9.4% | 17.3% |
| Asian (%) | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.2% | 3.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 7.7/20 | 7.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 26 mi | 31 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 75.7% | 84.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 22.27 | 25.40 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Gary or Merrillville more affordable?
- Merrillville has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Gary's $44k and Merrillville's $44k. Median rent is $929 in Gary versus $1k in Merrillville.
- Is Gary or Merrillville safer?
- Merrillville has the lower violent crime rate. Gary reports 2077/100k and Merrillville reports 137/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Gary or Merrillville?
- The median home value is $82k in Gary and $177k in Merrillville, so homes are more affordable in Gary.