Gary, IN vs Oak Forest, IL

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Gary

78.2

#190 nationally

Oak Forest

77.2

#270 nationally

Oak Forest leads in crime level (2.4 vs 13.5). Oak Forest leads in median household income ($89,758 vs $36,874). Gary leads in cost of living index (81 vs 104).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Gary, IN	Oak Forest, IL
WhereAtHome Score	78.2 (#190)	77.2 (#270)
Population	67,652	26,199
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$88,085	$303,574
Median Household Income	$36,874	$89,758
Average Commute	27.4 min	32.3 min
Walk Score	32	36
Crime Level	13.5	2.4
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	81	104
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+5.6	D+42.0