Elkhart County, Indiana

IN · FIPS 18039 Republican

Located in Indiana, Elkhart County has a population of 207,132 residents and a median age of 35.6 years, making it the #338 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.4%. The median home value is $210,400, and the median household income is $68,561, which is 9% below the national median.

207,132
Population
#338 of 3,222
$68,561
Median Income
-8.8% #1,296 of 3,222
35.6 years
Median Age
-8.5% #2,916 of 3,222
12.4%
Poverty Rate
-1.6% #1,377 of 3,222

Demographics

Elkhart County has a population of 207,132, making it the #338 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.3%
Native Born
9.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Elkhart County is $68,561, ranking #1,296 out of 3,222 counties — 8.8% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.4% and unemployment stands at 3.6%.

Income#1,296
$68,561
-8.8%
vs nation
60th percentile
Per Capita#1,942
$32,936
-20.2%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poverty#1,377
12.4%
-1.6%
vs nation
57th percentile
Unemployment#1,063
3.6%
-32.0%
vs nation
67th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Elkhart County is $210,400 (-25.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,047/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.6%.

Home Value#1,302
$210,400
-25.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Rent#853
$1,047
-10.0%
vs nation
73th percentile
Homeownership#2,083
71.6%
+11.1%
vs nation
35th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Elkhart County, 20.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 40.3% below the national average, ranking #1,973 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.1% −40.3% vs nation
Rank #1,973 of 3,222
39th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Elkhart County is 76.2 years. 20.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,190
76.2
+1.5%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,950
20.6%
+5.3%
vs nation
38th percentile
Diabetes#2,023
11.8%
+6.0%
vs nation
36th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,387
36.9%
-1.1%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,545
5.6
-0.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,983
4.6
+4.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,294
12.8%
+22.7%
vs nation
27th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,508
30.7%
+16.4%
vs nation
20th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,286
13.4%
-7.0%
vs nation
59th percentile

Substance Use

19.6% of adults in Elkhart County smoke , 42.5% are obese , and 18.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,149
19.6%
+9.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,722
42.5%
+12.1%
vs nation
13th percentile
Excessive Drinking#964
18.3%
-7.7%
vs nation
69th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#353
16.6
-48.6%
vs nation
83th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Elkhart County is 5.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#708
5.6
-29.8%
vs nation
54th percentile
Suicide Rate#271
11.8
-40.0%
vs nation
89th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#542
11.5
-35.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#835
14.1
-30.4%
vs nation
70th percentile

Families & Children

15.3% of children in Elkhart County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,036
8.0
+18.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,064
26.4
+21.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Child Poverty#1,147
15.3%
-19.4%
vs nation
64th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Elkhart County is 53.5%. The mean commute time is 21.9 min, which is 20.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
53.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
21.9 min −20.6% vs nation
Rank #2,550 of 3,222
21th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Elkhart County voted Republican with a margin of 32.4%. The vote was 33.1% Dem / 65.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +32.4%
33.1% 65.5%
Dem 69,694 votes Rep
2020 REP +28.0%
35.1% 63.1%
Dem 74,387 votes Rep
2016 REP +32.4%
31.7% 64.1%
Dem 65,187 votes Rep
2012 REP +26.5%
36% 62.5%
Dem 67,768 votes Rep
2008 REP +11.2%
43.9% 55.1%
Dem 71,458 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Elkhart County, Indiana

Elkhart County, Indiana has a total population of 207,132, making it the 338th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Elkhart County is 35.6 years, which is 8.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Elkhart County is $68,561, which ranks #1,296 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.8% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.6%.

The median home value in Elkhart County is $210,400, 25.4% below the national median. Renters in Elkhart County pay a median gross rent of $1,047 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Elkhart County, 20.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 85.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.9 min.

Elkhart County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 69.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.1%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.7%).

All data for Elkhart County, Indiana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.