Median Income
$49,688
household / year
Median Home Value
$60,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$446
gross / month
Cost of Living
82
national avg = 100

Is Gary, SD a Good Place to Live?

Gary is a small town of 249 in South Dakota, with a median household income of $49,688 and a 8.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 82 (US average = 100), which is 18% below the national average.

Strengths: Gary stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Gary is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Gary city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 81.7

Gary's overall cost of living index is 81.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Gary costs roughly 18% less than the average American city.

Metric Gary, SD National Avg
Median Home Value $60,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $446 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 77.2% 65.9%
Median Household Income $49,688 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Gary is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Metric Gary, SD National Avg
School District N/A —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio N/A 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 8.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 90.1% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Gary sees average highs of 23.4°F in January and 83.0°F in July, with 28.0 inches of annual precipitation and 47.8 inches of snow per year.

MetricGary, SD
Average High — January23.4°F
Average High — July83.0°F
Annual Precipitation28.0"
Annual Snowfall47.8"

Demographics

MetricGary, SDNational Avg
Population249—
Median Age54.538.9
Unemployment Rate8.8%3.7%
Avg Commute Time28.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)96.4%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.4%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1817.7%22.2%
65 and over35.7%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Canby, MN 11 mi Clear Lake, SD 12 mi Altamont, SD 12 mi Brandt, SD 12 mi Marietta, MN 15 mi

ZIP Codes in Gary

Gary, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code:

57237

Gary vs Other Cities

Gary, SD vs Canby, MN Gary, SD vs Clear Lake, SD Gary, SD vs Altamont, SD Gary, SD vs Brandt, SD Gary, SD vs Marietta, MN

Frequently Asked Questions

Gary's cost of living index is 82, where 100 is the national average. That makes Gary roughly 18% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $60,000 and median rent is $446/month.
Crime data for Gary is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Gary, SD has a population of 249, a median household income of $49,688, and an unemployment rate of 8.8%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Gary averages 23.4°F in January and 83.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 28.0 inches with about 47.8 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Gary, SD is covered by 1 ZIP code: 57237.
The population of Gary, South Dakota is 249 with a median age of 54.5. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Gary: cost of living index 82 (100 = US average), median home $60,000, median household income $49,688. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Gary side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.