Elkhart County, Indiana
Named for the Elkhart Tribe of Indians and formed in 1830
County Seat: Goshen
Largest City: Elkhart (2017 population: 52,558)
Population per Square Mile: 442.64
Square Miles: 463.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2010) | 197,561 | 6 | 3.0% | 6,484,192 |
| Today (2017) | 205,032 | 6 | 3.1% | 6,666,818 |
| Tomorrow (2020 projection)* | 212,036 | 6 | 3.1% | 6,852,121 |
| Percent Change 2010 to Today | 3.8% | 16 | | 2.8% |
*Projection based on 2010 Census counts.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2016-2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -831 | 88 | | -976 |
| Net International Migration | 195 | 11 | | 11,410 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 1,524 | 4 | 6.8% | 22,545 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 15,522 | 6 | 7.6% | 6.3% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 41,262 | 6 | 20.1% | 17.3% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 18,263 | 9 | 8.9% | 9.9% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 50,869 | 6 | 24.8% | 25.3% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 49,632 | 6 | 24.2% | 25.9% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 29,484 | 7 | 14.4% | 15.4% |
| Median Age | 35.5 | | | Median Age = 37.7 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2017 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 1,298 | 5 | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Asian Alone | 2,436 | 13 | 1.2% | 2.4% |
| Black Alone | 12,634 | 7 | 6.2% | 9.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 172 | 6 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 183,538 | 6 | 89.5% | 85.4% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 4,954 | 6 | 2.4% | 2.1% |
| Non-Hispanic | 172,211 | 8 | 84.0% | 93.0% |
| Hispanic | 32,821 | 3 | 16.0% | 7.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2016 (Includes detail not shown below) | 70,822 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 15,851 | 6 | 22.4% | 19.0% |
| Married Without Children | 21,752 | 6 | 30.7% | 30.0% |
| Single Parents | 8,296 | 6 | 11.7% | 9.7% |
| Living Alone | 16,430 | 9 | 23.2% | 28.2% |
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 2017 (estimate) | 79,004 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2016 (includes vacant units) | 77,932 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 48,680 | 6 | 62.5% | 61.0% |
| Median Value (2016) | $125,300 | 28 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 22,142 | 9 | 28.4% | 27.8% |
| Median Rent (2016) | $610 | 15 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2016/2017 Total Reported) | 37,128 | 6 | 3.3% | 1,110,866 |
| Public | 36,588 | 6 | 3.5% | 1,048,879 |
| Adults (25+ in 2016 ACS) | 127,176 | 6 | 2.9% | 4,339,687 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 80.5% | 90 | | 88.1% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 18.3% | 33 | | 24.6% |
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 2016 | $41,712 | 25 | 96.8% | 43,097 |
| Median Household Income in 2016 | 54,582 | 28 | 104.4% | $52,289 |
| Poverty Rate in 2016 | 13.2% | 40 | 94.3% | 14.0% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 16.7% | 54 | 87.4% | 19.1% |
| Welfare (TANF) Monthly Average Families in 2017 | 172 | 7 | 2.5% | 6,790 |
| Food Stamp Recipients in 2017 | 16,199 | 7 | 2.5% | 656,297 |
| Free and Reduced Fee Lunch Recipients in 2016/2017 | 18,721 | 5 | 3.8% | 495,330 |
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, 2016 | 3,130 | 6 | 3.8% | 83,063 |
| Births to Teens, 2015 | 277 | 4 | 4.7% | 5,876 |
| Deaths, 2015 | 1,677 | 6 | 2.7% | 62,666 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2017 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 111,740 | 6 | 3.4% | 3,320,409 |
| Employed | 108,915 | 6 | 3.4% | 3,203,351 |
| Unemployed | 2,825 | 9 | 2.4% | 117,058 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 2.5 | 92 | 71.4% | 3.5 |
| July 2018 Unemployment Rate | 2.6 | 1 | 70.3% | 3.7 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2016 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 155,889 | 100.0% | $8,776,743 | 100.0% | $56,301 |
| Wage and Salary | 133,902 | 85.9% | $6,361,827 | 72.5% | $47,511 |
| Farm Proprietors | 1,511 | 1.0% | $34,037 | 0.4% | $22,526 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 20,476 | 13.1% | $826,982 | 9.4% | $40,388 |
| Farm | 1,744 | 1.1% | $40,957 | 0.5% | $23,485 |
| Nonfarm | 154,145 | 98.9% | $8,735,786 | 99.5% | $56,673 |
| Private | 144,810 | 92.9% | $8,241,828 | 93.9% | $56,915 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 7,467 | 4.8% | $152,981 | 1.7% | $20,488 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,173 | 0.8% | $16,962 | 0.2% | $14,460 |
| Construction | 4,672 | 3.0% | $275,584 | 3.1% | $58,986 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 12,084 | 7.8% | $677,443 | 7.7% | $56,061 |
| Information | 616 | 0.4% | $29,165 | 0.3% | $47,346 |
| Manufacturing | 64,235 | 41.2% | $4,462,106 | 50.8% | $69,465 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,730 | 2.4% | $178,052 | 2.0% | $47,735 |
| Retail Trade | 12,298 | 7.9% | $348,309 | 4.0% | $28,322 |
| Trans., Warehousing | 4,942 | 3.2% | $289,819 | 3.3% | $58,644 |
| Wholesale Trade | 7,230 | 4.6% | $587,094 | 6.7% | $81,202 |
| Other Private (not above) | 25,851* | 16.6%* | $1,199,896* | 13.7%* | $46,416* |
| Government | 9,335 | 6.0% | $493,958 | 5.6% | $52,915 |
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, 2017 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 560 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $97,970 | $4,583,500 |
| Single-Family | 366 | 65.4% | 74.2% | $81,260 | $4,038,599 |
| 2-Family | 2 | 0.4% | 2.0% | 130 | $62,844 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 4 | 0.7% | 0.4% | $280 | $13,000 |
| 5+ Family | 188 | 33.6% | 23.4% | $16,300 | $469,056 |
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 2017 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bristol | 1,683 | 0.8% |
| Elkhart | 52,558 | 25.6% |
| Goshen | 33,220 | 16.2% |
| Middlebury | 3,605 | 1.8% |
| Millersburg | 946 | 0.5% |
| Nappanee | 6,362 | 3.1%* |
| Wakarusa | 1,834 | 0.9% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
