Elkhart County, Indiana
Named for the Elkhart Tribe of Indians and formed in 1830
County Seat: Goshen
Largest City: Elkhart (2021 population: 53,949)
Population per Square Mile: 446.65
Square Miles: 463.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 197,569 | 6 | 3.0% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2022) | 206,890 | 6 | 3.0% | 6,833,037 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 225,496 | 6 | 3.2% | 7,143,795 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 4.7% | 19 | | 5.4% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2021-2022 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -1,320 | 91 | | 5,230 |
| Net International Migration | 367 | 9 | | 15,490 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 818 | 4 | 79.9% | 1,024 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 15,121 | 6 | 7.3% | 6.0% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 41,532 | 6 | 20.1% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 18,798 | 9 | 9.1% | 9.7% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 51,626 | 6 | 24.9% | 25.7% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 48,284 | 6 | 23.3% | 24.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 31,560 | 7 | 15.3% | 16.4% |
| Median Age | 35.6 | | | Median Age = 38.1 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2021 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 1,426 | 5 | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,645 | 12 | 1.3% | 2.7% |
| Black Alone | 12,734 | 9 | 6.2% | 10.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 191 | 7 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 184,478 | 6 | 89.2% | 84.2% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 5,447 | 6 | 2.6% | 2.3% |
| Non-Hispanic | 170,599 | 8 | 82.4% | 92.3% |
| Hispanic | 36,322 | 3 | 17.6% | 7.7% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2021 (Includes detail not shown below) | 71,343 | 8 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 14,651 | 7 | 20.5% | 18.2% |
| Married Without Children | 22,725 | 6 | 31.9% | 29.8% |
| Single Parents | 7,428 | 7 | 10.4% | 9.2% |
| Living Alone | 18,112 | 9 | 25.4% | 29.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Housing | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Total Housing Units in 2021 (estimate) | 80,101 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2021 (includes vacant units) | 79,411 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 51,032 | 6 | 64.3% | 62.9% |
| Median Value (2021) | $159,000 | 28 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 20,311 | 9 | 25.6% | 27.2% |
| Median Rent (2021) | $708 | 16 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2021/2022 Total Reported) | 36,764 | 6 | 3.3% | 1,120,155 |
| Public | 34,497 | 6 | 3.3% | 1,036,519 |
| Adults (25+ in 2021 ACS) | 130,718 | 6 | 2.9% | 4,501,214 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 81.9% | 89 | | 89.8% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 20% | 34 | | 27.8% |
Sources: Indiana Department of Education; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Income and Poverty | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Per Capita Personal Income (annual) in 2021 | $55,007 | 19 | 97.4% | 56,497 |
| Median Household Income in 2021 | 62,233 | 38 | 99.2% | $62,723 |
| Poverty Rate in 2021 | 11.3% | 45 | 93.4% | 12.1% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 15.4% | 48 | 98.1% | 15.7% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2022 | 84 | 8 | 2.1% | 3,933 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2022 | 13,775 | 10 | 2.3% | 611,203 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2021/2022 | 15,274 | 5 | 3.2% | 481,568 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Family Social Services Administration; Indiana Department of Education
| Health and Vital Statistics | Number | Rank of | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Births, 2019 | 3,029 | 6 | 3.7% | 80,851 |
| Births to Teens, 2017 | 231 | 5 | 4.5% | 5,152 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 1,753 | 7 | 2.7% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2021 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 115,907 | 6 | 3.5% | 3,355,642 |
| Employed | 113,007 | 6 | 3.5% | 3,225,060 |
| Unemployed | 2,900 | 9 | 2.2% | 130,582 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.5 | 80 | 64.1% | 3.9 |
| February 2023 Unemployment Rate | 3.8 | 29 | 108.6% | 3.5 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2021 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 166,861 | 100.0% | $12,077,083 | 100.0% | $72,378 |
| Wage and Salary | 144,066 | 86.3% | $9,112,985 | 75.5% | $63,256 |
| Farm Proprietors | 1,410 | 0.8% | $120,875 | 1.0% | $85,727 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 21,385 | 12.8% | $830,904 | 6.9% | $38,855 |
| Farm | 1,649 | 1.0% | $127,285 | 1.1% | $77,189 |
| Nonfarm | 165,212 | 99.0% | $11,949,798 | 98.9% | $72,330 |
| Private | 156,282 | 93.7% | $11,397,589 | 94.4% | $72,930 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 6,809 | 4.1% | $176,164 | 1.5% | $25,872 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,022 | 0.6% | $15,842 | 0.1% | $15,501 |
| Construction | 5,957 | 3.6% | $438,038 | 3.6% | $73,533 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 11,864 | 7.1% | $797,789 | 6.6% | $67,245 |
| Information | 555 | 0.3% | $30,533 | 0.3% | $55,014 |
| Manufacturing | 74,001 | 44.3% | $6,226,176 | 51.6% | $84,136 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,553 | 2.1% | $213,969 | 1.8% | $60,222 |
| Retail Trade | 12,206 | 7.3% | $455,945 | 3.8% | $37,354 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,078 | 4.8% | $771,505 | 6.4% | $95,507 |
| Other Private (not above) | 26,173* | 15.7%* | $1,951,235* | 16.2%* | $74,551* |
| Government | 8,930 | 5.4% | $552,209 | 4.6% | $61,838 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
* These totals do not include county data that are not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements.
| Residential Building Permits, 2021 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 458 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $114,735 | $7,583,249 |
| Single-Family | 389 | 84.9% | 74.4% | $108,635 | $6,692,956 |
| 2-Family | 6 | 1.3% | 2.4% | 1,100 | $117,031 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% | $0 | $30,324 |
| 5+ Family | 63 | 13.8% | 22.7% | $5,000 | $742,937 |
Notes: Detail cost may not sum to total due to rounding. Greene County does not currently issue building permits, so it is excluded.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Largest Cities and Towns in Elkhart County
| Name | Population
in 2021 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bristol | 1,781 | 0.9% |
| Elkhart | 53,949 | 26.1% |
| Goshen | 34,756 | 16.8% |
| Middlebury | 3,449 | 1.7% |
| Millersburg | 953 | 0.5% |
| Nappanee | 6,562 | 3.2%* |
| Wakarusa | 2,039 | 1.0% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
