Elkhart County, Indiana
Named for the Elkhart Tribe of Indians and formed in 1830
County Seat: Goshen
Largest City: Elkhart (2023 population: 53,484)
Population per Square Mile: 445.62
Square Miles: 463.20
Go to county's in.gov site
| Population over Time | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Yesterday (2020) | 207,047 | 6 | 3.2% | 6,484,050 |
| Today (2023) | 206,409 | 6 | 3.0% | 6,862,199 |
| Tomorrow (2030 projection)* | 207,986 | 6 | 3.0% | 7,013,509 |
| Percent Change 2020 to Today | -0.3% | 20 | | 1.1% |
*Projection based on 2020 Census population estimates.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Components of Population Change, 2022-2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Net Domestic Migration | -1,925 | 90 | | 4,599 |
| Net International Migration | 475 | 9 | | 17,869 |
| Natural Increase (births minus deaths) | 977 | 4 | 13.0% | 7,508 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Population Estimates by Age, 2023 | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Preschool (0 to 4) | 14,552 | 6 | 7.1% | 5.9% |
| School Age (5 to 17) | 41,257 | 6 | 20.0% | 17.2% |
| College Age (18 to 24) | 19,215 | 9 | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| Young Adult (25 to 44) | 51,206 | 6 | 24.8% | 25.8% |
| Older Adult (45 to 64) | 47,521 | 6 | 23.0% | 24.2% |
| Seniors (65 and older) | 32,658 | 8 | 15.8% | 17.2% |
| Median Age | 35.8 | | | Median Age = 38.2 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Indiana Business Research Center
| Population Estimates by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2023 | Number | Rank of | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native Alone | 1,476 | 5 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Asian Alone | 2,660 | 13 | 1.3% | 2.9% |
| Black Alone | 12,340 | 10 | 6.0% | 10.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pac. Isl. Alone | 192 | 7 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| White | 184,323 | 6 | 89.3% | 83.7% |
| Two or More Race Groups | 5,418 | 7 | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Non-Hispanic | 164,338 | 9 | 79.6% | 91.2% |
| Hispanic | 42,071 | 3 | 20.4% | 8.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
| Household Types | Number | Rank in State | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State |
|---|
| Households in 2022 (Includes detail not shown below) | 71,751 | 8 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Married With Children | 13,822 | 9 | 19.3% | 18.1% |
| Married Without Children | 22,651 | 6 | 31.6% | 29.6% |
| Single Parents | 6,947 | 7 | 9.7% | 9.0% |
| Living Alone | 19,696 | 9 | 27.5% | 29.4% |
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 2023 (estimate) | 80,885 | 8 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Total Housing Units in 2022 (includes vacant units) | 79,808 | 7 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Owner Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 51,118 | 7 | 64.1% | 63.5% |
| Median Value (2022) | $181,800 | 29 | | |
Renter Occupied
(Pct. distribution based on all housing units) | 20,633 | 9 | 25.9% | 27.1% |
| Median Rent (2022) | $781 | 15 | | |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
| Education | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| School Enrollment (2022/2023 Total Reported) | 36,767 | 6 | 3.3% | 1,124,094 |
| Public | 34,251 | 6 | 3.3% | 1,035,718 |
| Adults (25+ in 2022 ACS) | 131,038 | 6 | 2.9% | 4,532,091 |
| with High School diploma or higher | 82.2% | 89 | | 90% |
| with B.A. or higher degree | 20% | 36 | | 28.2% |
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 2022 | $58,570 | 14 | 100.4% | 58,323 |
| Median Household Income in 2022 | 63,777 | 50 | 95.5% | $66,768 |
| Poverty Rate in 2022 | 13.1% | 31 | 104.8% | 12.5% |
| Poverty Rate among Children under 18 | 16.3% | 39 | 105.8% | 15.4% |
| 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 2022/2023 | 19,018 | 5 | 3.7% | 511,735 |
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, 2021 | 2,926 | 6 | 3.7% | 79,946 |
| Births to Teens, 2021 | 174 | 4 | 4.5% | 3,845 |
| Deaths, 2019 | 1,753 | 7 | 2.7% | 66,005 |
Source: Indiana State Department of Health
| Labor Force, 2023 | Number | Rank in State | Percent of State | Indiana |
|---|
| Total Resident Labor Force | 110,513 | 6 | 3.2% | 3,401,387 |
| Employed | 106,100 | 6 | 3.2% | 3,288,017 |
| Unemployed | 4,413 | 6 | 3.9% | 113,370 |
| Annual Unemployment Rate | 4.0 | 6 | 121.2% | 3.3 |
| August 2024 Unemployment Rate | 4.7 | 23 | 106.8% | 4.4 |
Source: STATS Indiana, using data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development
| Employment and Earnings by Industry, 2022 | Employment | Pct Dist.
in County | Earnings ($000) | Pct Dist.
In County | Avg. Earnings Per Job |
|---|
| Total by place of work | 173,324 | 100.0% | $13,030,041 | 100.0% | $75,177 |
| Wage and Salary | 148,946 | 85.9% | $9,799,278 | 75.2% | $65,791 |
| Farm Proprietors | 1,396 | 0.8% | $193,075 | 1.5% | $138,306 |
| Nonfarm Proprietors | 22,982 | 13.3% | $1,056,900 | 8.1% | $45,988 |
| Farm | 1,612 | 0.9% | $200,667 | 1.5% | $124,483 |
| Nonfarm | 171,712 | 99.1% | $12,829,374 | 98.5% | $74,714 |
| Private | 162,911 | 94.0% | $12,271,116 | 94.2% | $75,324 |
| Accommodation, Food Serv. | 7,251 | 4.2% | $189,668 | 1.5% | $26,157 |
| Arts, Ent., Recreation | 1,077 | 0.6% | $17,528 | 0.1% | $16,275 |
| Construction | 6,165 | 3.6% | $475,332 | 3.6% | $77,102 |
| Health Care, Social Serv. | 11,752 | 6.8% | $845,085 | 6.5% | $71,910 |
| Information | 669 | 0.4% | $32,256 | 0.2% | $48,215 |
| Manufacturing | 77,152 | 44.5% | $6,775,372 | 52.0% | $87,818 |
| Professional, Tech. Serv. | 3,777 | 2.2% | $209,565 | 1.6% | $55,485 |
| Retail Trade | 12,437 | 7.2% | $477,909 | 3.7% | $38,426 |
| Trans., Warehousing | Data not available due to BEA non-disclosure requirements. |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,540 | 4.9% | $835,641 | 6.4% | $97,850 |
| Other Private (not above) | 27,494* | 15.9%* | $2,032,281* | 15.6%* | $73,917* |
| Government | 8,801 | 5.1% | $558,258 | 4.3% | $63,431 |
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, 2023 | Units | Pct Dist.
in County | Pct Dist.
in State | Cost ($000) | State Cost ($000) |
|---|
| Total Permits Filed | 287 | 100.0% | 100.0% | $97,991 | $7,695,489 |
| Single-Family | 279 | 97.2% | 63.0% | $95,691 | $5,961,199 |
| 2-Family | 0 | 0.0% | 2.0% | 0 | $99,053 |
| 3- and 4-Family | 8 | 2.8% | 0.9% | $2,300 | $40,460 |
| 5+ Family | 0 | 0.0% | 34.2% | $0 | $1,594,777 |
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 2023 | Percent of County |
|---|
| Bristol | 1,785 | 0.9% |
| Elkhart | 53,484 | 25.9% |
| Goshen | 34,355 | 16.6% |
| Middlebury | 3,676 | 1.8% |
| Millersburg | 948 | 0.5% |
| Nappanee | 6,557 | 3.2%* |
| Wakarusa | 1,999 | 1.0% |
| * This place crosses county lines, so only population in this county is shown. |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimates
