Health Profile of Elkhart County, Indiana
Elkhart County Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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C
Elkhart County Below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 14.2% | 7.4% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 18.1% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in Elkhart County is 78.6 years, about 1.2 years longer than the Indiana average of 77.4 years. The uninsured rate is 14.2%, higher than the Indiana average of 7.4%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 18.1% of residents, higher than the Indiana average of 17.1%.
Population by Age
Older residents
65,046 residents in Elkhart County are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 4,074 1,134 men · 2,940 women
- 75–84 8,631 3,821 men · 4,809 women
- 65–74 16,806 7,926 men · 8,881 women
- 50–64 35,535 17,945 men · 17,589 women
Younger residents
54,164 residents in Elkhart County are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 17,391 8,772 boys · 8,619 girls
- 7–12 15,641 7,989 boys · 7,653 girls
- 3–7 11,915 6,144 boys · 5,771 girls
- 0–3 9,217 4,760 boys · 4,457 girls
About 8,777 residents in Elkhart County (4.2% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.6 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 11.2% | 11.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 6.2% | 6.8% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 6.6% | 7.2% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 37.7% | 38.8% | 34.3% |
On average, diseases in Elkhart County are about the same as in Indiana.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 22.2% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 15.9% | 16.1% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 28.5% | 27.6% | 25.1% |
On average, health behaviors in Elkhart County are about the same as in Indiana.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 334,027 cigarettes a day, 10.0 million a month, or 121.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.7 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Elkhart County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 32 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 7.54 | 7.71 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 7.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in Elkhart County is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Elkhart County, IN Health Compared With Nearby Counties
Elkhart County, IN is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 207,132 residents against a local median of 60,969. Elkhart County, IN's uninsured, at 14.2%, runs 40% above the 10.1% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 37.6% on uninsured, so Elkhart County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Elkhart County, IN has the 5th lowest uninsured of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Life expectancy | Uninsured | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart County, IN | 207,132 | 78.6 yrs #2/6 | 14.2% #5/6 | 37.7% #5/6 |
| Cass County, MI | 51,520 | 77.9 yrs | 6.9% | 35.9% |
| Kosciusko County, IN | 80,442 | 77.9 yrs | 11.7% | 37.1% |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 273,015 | 76.5 yrs | 7.1% | 38.5% |
| LaGrange County, IN | 40,805 | 79.2 yrs | 44.4% | 36.9% |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 60,969 | 76.6 yrs | 10.1% | 37.2% |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Elkhart County, Indiana has an overall health index grade of C, making it somewhat better than Indiana, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in Elkhart County, Indiana.
Is Elkhart County, Indiana a healthy place to live?
Elkhart County, Indiana has a Map AI Health Index grade of C, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average.
Is Elkhart County, Indiana one of the healthiest counties in Indiana?
Elkhart County ranks 48th healthiest out of 92 counties in Indiana by the Map AI Health Index, which measures life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment.
How long do people live in Elkhart County, Indiana?
People in Elkhart County, Indiana can expect to live 78.6 years on average, 1.2 years longer than the Indiana average of 77.4.
What is the uninsured rate in Elkhart County, Indiana?
14.2% of residents in Elkhart County, Indiana have no health insurance, about 1 in 7 people, 6.9 points above the Indiana rate of 7.4%.
What percentage of Elkhart County, Indiana residents are obese?
37.7% of adults in Elkhart County, Indiana are classified as obese, about 1 in 3, 1.0 points below the Indiana rate of 38.8%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in Elkhart County, Indiana go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 334,027 cigarettes a day, 10.0 million a month, or 121.9 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 3.7 million minutes a day and 1.3 billion a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in Elkhart County is 78.6 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.09 lifetimes a day, or 32 lifetimes a year.
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