GaryMN
A town of 226, settled in 1887.
Is Gary a good place to live?
Gary’s January low is -2°F, against 6°F in Minnesota’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 274 Minnesota towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Gary. Gary’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, where Minnesota’s towns sit at 0.5 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Gary Pines, at 151 acres. Gary has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
226 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Gary: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gary, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gary.
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Gary’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Gary for work: only 2% work in town. Gary’s average trip to work is 27 minutes. The top destinations are Fargo (15%), Ada (10%) and Mahnomen (9%).
| Gary | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Gary has four seasons and pleasant summers
Gary has cold winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Gary is 80°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Gary is
Gary beats the Minnesota average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 19% of adults binge drink in Gary.
| Gary | Minnesota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 75% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Gary | MN |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 16.8% | 13.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 6.6% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Gary faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Gary has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gary Pines | — | 151 |
| 2. Gary Community Club Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Gary
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gary; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Gary residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.
98% of working residents leave Gary for work
Where Gary’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Gary
City in Minnesota, United States
Gary is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 227 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,099 ft
- ZIP code
- 56545
- Area code
- 218
Questions about Gary
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gary, MN a good place to live?
Gary has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.