Elkhart County, Indiana

County in IN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

207,132

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

35.6

years ∙ half population younger than 35.6, half older

Diversity Index

46.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

9.7%

foreign-born population

90.3%Native

9.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Elkhart County is a county in Indiana, United States.

Location

County in IN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC41.600693° N, 85.863986° W

DMS41° 36′ 02.49″ N, 85° 51′ 50.35″ W

Population Density & area

447.2/sq mi (172.7/km²)

Total Area

468 sq mi (1,212.1 km²)

Land Area

463.2 sq mi (1,199.6 km²) · 99%

Water Area

4.8 sq mi (12.5 km²) · 1%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.7% male

Male 49.7%

Female 50.3%

males per 100 females

Elkhart County 98.7

Indiana 98.4

United States 98

Nativity

9.7%

foreign-born population

90.3%Native

9.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Elkhart County 9.7%

Indiana 6.3%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

35.6

years ∙ half population younger than 35.6, half older

Elkhart County

35.6

Indiana

38.1

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

74.8

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Elkhart County 74.8

Indiana 66.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	27.4%	23.3%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.2%	59.9%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.4%	16.8%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	74.8	66.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	47.9	38.8	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	27	27.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

69.9%

Black

4.7%

Asian

Hispanic

20.1%

Other

4.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

46.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Elkhart County 46.7%

Indiana 41.4%

United States 61.4%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Elkhart County population

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Hispanic or Latino	20.1%	8.6%	19.3%
Mexican	13.5%	5.7%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	1.4%	0.8%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	5.2%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	79.9%	91.4%	80.7%
One race	76.3%	87.6%	76.4%
White	69.9%	75.4%	57.4%
Black or African American	4.7%	9.1%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.5%
Asian	1%	2.6%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.6%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.6%	3.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

68.7% family

Family 68.7%

Non family 31.3%

% family households

Elkhart County 68.7%

Indiana 63.7%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.83

persons per household

Elkhart County

2.83

Indiana

2.46

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Elkhart County population

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Total households	72,309	2,716,009	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.83	2.46	2.53
Family households	49,684	1,729,978	82,990,528
Average family size	3.48	3.07	3.14
Married couple family	37,486	1,284,219	60,637,388
Other families	12,198	445,759	22,353,140
Male householder	3,294	137,811	6,572,819
Female householder	8,904	307,948	15,780,321
Non-family households	22,625	986,031	46,236,968
One-person households	19,243	803,751	37,140,836
Male householder	9,524	374,646	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,442	109,929	5,225,110
Female householder	9,719	429,105	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	5,235	217,057	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	3,382	182,280	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

80,493

housing units

Elkhart County 80,493

Indiana 2,976,568

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

89.8% occupied

Occupied 89.8%

Vacant 10.2%

vacancy rate

Elkhart County 10.2%

Indiana 8.8%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

73.3%

Single family houses

73.3%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

18.6%

Mobile homes

8.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1978

Half of houses were built before 1978, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

16.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

40.3%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

19.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	5.9	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.4%	10.5%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	49.7%	51.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	40.8%	38.2%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.2%	1.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.8%	9.2%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.8%	24.7%	25%
3 bedrooms	43.8%	43.3%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	21.4%	21.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1978	1977	1981
Total housing units	80,493	2,976,568	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

71.6% owners

Renter-occupied 28.4%

Owner-occupied 71.6%

homeownership rate

Elkhart County 71.6%

Indiana 70.6%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.94

Owner-occupied

2.55

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Elkhart County 2.94

Indiana 2.58

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Total occupied units	72,309	2,716,009	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.4%	23.9%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	42.1%	39.6%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	18.3%	16.3%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	18.3%	20.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.4%	98.2%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	2.1%	1.3%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.6%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.8%	6.2%	8.4%
1 vehicle	32.1%	32%	33.1%
2 vehicles	37.4%	38.2%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	22.7%	23.6%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	84%	65.8%	51.4%
Electricity	13.8%	31.2%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	0.5%	3.9%
All other fuels	2%	2%	2%
No fuel used	0.2%	0.5%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.9%	0.8%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.7%	0.9%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$210,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Elkhart County

$210,400

Indiana

$218,200

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

22.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

22.2%

Owners without a mortgage

8.5%

Renters

47.8%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Property value
Median Value	$210,400	$218,200	$332,700
Under $100,000	14.8%	16.1%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	31.6%	28.5%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	27.5%	25.1%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	19.7%	21.8%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	5.2%	7.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.2%	1.2%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	63.3%	63.6%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	36.7%	36.4%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,323	$1,404	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$500	$517	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,047	$1,062	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.1%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Elkhart County 20.1%

Indiana 29.5%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

17.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Elkhart County 17.8%

Indiana 9.6%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

48,417

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.4%

K–12

81.5%

College / Undergraduate

11.4%

Graduate / Professional

1.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

21.9%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Elkhart County

21.9%

Indiana

37.8%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	48,417	1,654,330	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.4%	5.8%	5.7%
K–12	81.5%	70.1%	67.6%
Kindergarten	5.9%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.3%	20.9%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	26.8%	21.8%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	25.5%	22.1%	21.7%
College or graduate school	13.1%	24.1%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	11.4%	19%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.8%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	21.9%	37.8%	40.9%
School type
Public school	82.6%	81.6%	82%
Private school	17.4%	18.4%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

131,311

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

8.3%

HS graduate

36.9%

Some college no degree

18.3%

Associates degree

6.9%

Bachelors degree

12.8%

Graduate or professional degree

7.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

57.5% · 42.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

49.9% · 50.1%

HS graduate

49.2% · 50.8%

Some college no degree

48.4% · 51.6%

Associates degree

40% · 60%

Bachelors degree

47.9% · 52.1%

Graduate or professional degree

46.8% · 53.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Population (25+)	131,311	4,596,004	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	9.5%	3.6%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	8.3%	6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	36.9%	32.5%	26%
Some college, no degree	18.3%	19.3%	19.1%
Associate's degree	6.9%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.1%	29.5%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	12.8%	18.7%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	7.3%	10.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	82.2%	90.4%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,417

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$41,323

HS graduate

$41,121

Some college or associates

$48,442

Bachelors degree

$50,616

Graduate or professional degree

$65,465

Poverty Rate

3.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

16.9%

HS graduate

10.5%

Some college or associates

7.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Elkhart County	Indiana	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,417	$49,693	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$41,323	$34,287	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,121	$40,411	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$48,442	$47,119	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$50,616	$62,429	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$65,465	$79,544	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	16.9%	23.6%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	10.5%	12.6%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.4%	9%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.6%	4%	4.5%

Insights for Elkhart County, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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