Elkhart County, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Elkhart County, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 207,132 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 442.9 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.34% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 72,309 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Elkhart County grew by 4.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 207,132 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Elkhart County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 48,085 23.2% +1.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 41,782 20.2% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,663 18.7% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 31,030 15.0% -1.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in Elkhart County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.7% Indiana 49.6%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Elkhart County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Elkhart County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,750 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.33% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Elkhart County is about 3% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $152,902 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,047 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.6% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Elkhart County is about 12.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,047 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Elkhart County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,611 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.1% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,890 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,585 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Indiana:
Knox County (15.8 min), Howard County (15.9 min), Daviess County (16.3 min).
Slowest:
Crawford County (33.6 min), Brown County (32.6 min), Franklin County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Elkhart County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Elkhart County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.6% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.83 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.4), Boone County (0.4), Monroe County (0.3).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.1), Crawford County (0.2), Switzerland County (0.2).
Health
Elkhart County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Elkhart County | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.1% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.2% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Indiana:
Hamilton County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
LaGrange County (0.8), Daviess County (0.8), Switzerland County (0.8).
Elkhart County, IN 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 median home price, at $152,902, runs 26% above the $121,830 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $51,332 on median home price, so Elkhart County, IN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Elkhart County, IN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart County, IN | 207,132 | $69,750 #4/6 | $152,902 #2/6 | 17.9 min #3/6 |
| Cass County, MI | 51,520 | $70,806 | $113,846 | 22.1 min |
| Kosciusko County, IN | 80,442 | $75,405 | $130,500 | 17.6 min |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 273,015 | $66,946 | $121,815 | 18.6 min |
| LaGrange County, IN | 40,805 | $83,276 | $121,830 | 20.2 min |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 60,969 | $67,257 | $165,178 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Elkhart County, Indiana.
How big is Elkhart County, Indiana by population?
About 207,132 people live in Elkhart County, Indiana, in 72,309 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Elkhart County, Indiana urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Elkhart County, Indiana has 443 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 5.1 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Elkhart County, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($152,902 against $69,750), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,047 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Elkhart County, Indiana?
Unemployment in Elkhart County, Indiana is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Elkhart County, Indiana have a college degree?
18.6% of adults in Elkhart County, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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