Jobs, pay and daily life in Elkhart, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Elkhart is a city in Indiana with 53,733 residents. The median household earns $51,028 a year and the median rent is $998 a month, which is 23.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 127,730 jobs.
How Elkhart compares. Among the 80 largest places in Indiana, Elkhart is #18 by population, #77 for remote work (#1 = most), #4 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #69 for homeownership (#1 = highest). Its county, Elkhart County, is #9 of 92 counties for average pay ($62,117).
Elkhart has 53,733 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.8% of the population of Indiana. It covers 28 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,911 people per square mile. The median age is 35.0, 8% younger than the state median (35.0 against 38.1).
The median gross rent is $998 a month (rent plus utilities), 6% below the state median ($998 against $1,062). Over a year that is 23.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $139,500, which is 2.7 times the median household income ($51,028); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 53.2% of households own their home, 25% below the state average (53.2% against 70.5%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Elkhart-Goshen, IN metropolitan area has 127,730 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,070 a year, 6% below the national median ($48,070 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (41,560 jobs, median $47,220); office and administrative support (12,160 jobs, median $47,380); transportation and material moving (11,240 jobs, median $42,960). The area is most specialised in production (5.9 times) and installation, maintenance, and repair (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($119,510) and construction and extraction ($60,680). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Elkhart County was 3.8%. 63.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Elkhart County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.9% drive alone, 0.6% use public transit, 2.6% walk, 3.2% work from home. 4.4% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 65% below the state average (4.4% against 12.7%).
17.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40% below the state share (17.7% against 29.5%). 15.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 140% above the state share (15.1% against 6.3%). The poverty rate is 18.2%, 47% above the state rate (18.2% against 12.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 74°F (23.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 25°F (-4.1°C). About 993 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (112 mm) and Feb the driest (58 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Granger (9 miles, rent 66% higher); Mishawaka (11 miles, rent 7% higher); Goshen (11 miles, rent 10% higher); South Bend (16 miles, rent 4% higher). Rent differences are against Elkhart; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Indiana (770) →State guide: IndianaCountry guideElkhart CountyIndiana rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 770 federal postings open in Indiana (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Indiana →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 18,960 | 16.43 | $46,960 | $22,560 | $88,580 | +5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,980 | 1.23 | $40,820 | $31,860 | $51,050 | +1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,710 | 0.86 | $28,300 | $21,970 | $35,690 | -9% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 2,370 | 2.33 | $75,220 | $44,090 | $131,510 | +4% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 2,300 | 4.15 | $65,150 | $48,360 | $105,540 | -12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,270 | 0.71 | $33,360 | $23,970 | $50,780 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 2,240 | 0.88 | $29,560 | $22,730 | $36,440 | -10% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 2,000 | 5.86 | $50,950 | $39,780 | $80,080 | -5% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,980 | 0.85 | $35,460 | $29,560 | $44,880 | -5% |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | 1,980 | 2.96 | $48,600 | $38,270 | $61,990 | +7% |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 1,970 | 4.02 | $47,950 | $35,830 | $68,120 | -1% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,960 | 0.97 | $45,190 | $25,110 | $65,430 | +0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,690 | 1.00 | $58,100 | $43,340 | $75,670 | -1% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,650 | 0.60 | $88,100 | $65,750 | $141,250 | -10% |
| General and Operations Managers | 1,640 | 0.57 | $122,070 | $55,750 | $254,180 | +15% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,540 | 0.72 | $48,000 | $31,410 | $65,260 | +7% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,500 | 1.19 | $57,590 | $37,960 | $78,120 | +16% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,320 | 0.73 | $37,080 | $29,200 | $46,920 | +1% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 1,190 | 1.06 | $49,190 | $34,910 | $66,300 | -3% |
| Carpenters | 1,170 | 2.13 | $65,520 | $44,800 | $100,890 | +8% |
These figures are for the whole Elkhart-Goshen, IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $48,070 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.8% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 36.4% |
| Education and health care | 18.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.7% |
| Retail trade | 8.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.0% |
| Other services | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5% |
| Public administration | 1.7% |
| Information | 0.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Elkhart lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart County | 207,132 | $20,586 million | $99,387 | 127,100 | 5,293 | $62,117 | -3.2% | 3.8% | 99,645 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 60,633 | 51.5% | $65,456 | 5.81 |
| Health care and social assistance | 11,090 | 9.4% | $60,094 | 0.61 |
| Retail trade | 9,748 | 8.3% | $35,511 | 0.77 |
| Wholesale trade | 7,005 | 5.9% | $70,111 | 1.40 |
| Accommodation and food services | 6,843 | 5.8% | $21,119 | 0.59 |
| Construction | 4,204 | 3.6% | $71,712 | 0.63 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,978 | 3.4% | $40,425 | 0.53 |
| Management of companies | 2,588 | 2.2% | $225,202 | 1.21 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,545 | 2.2% | $51,269 | 0.67 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,297 | 1.9% | $64,779 | 0.43 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,210 | 1.9% | $80,972 | 0.25 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,790 | 1.5% | $80,787 | 0.35 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,028 | 0.9% | $56,332 | 0.52 |
| Educational services | 755 | 0.6% | $35,213 | 0.29 |
| Information | 472 | 0.4% | $66,701 | 0.20 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 467 | 0.4% | $22,998 | 0.22 |
| Utilities | 192 | 0.2% | $135,272 | 0.40 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.9% |
| Public transit | 0.6% |
| Walk | 2.6% |
| Work from home | 3.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.4% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,028 |
| Income per person | $28,189 |
| Median gross rent per month | $998 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.5% |
| Median home value | $139,500 |
| Homeowners | 53.2% |
| Poverty rate | 18.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.3 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $48,070 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 2.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 81.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.7% |
| Born abroad | 15.1% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.1 | 25 | 62 |
| Feb | -3.0 | 27 | 58 |
| Mar | 2.8 | 37 | 63 |
| Apr | 9.2 | 49 | 88 |
| May | 15.3 | 60 | 112 |
| Jun | 20.7 | 69 | 98 |
| Jul | 23.1 | 74 | 100 |
| Aug | 22.4 | 72 | 107 |
| Sep | 18.6 | 65 | 80 |
| Oct | 11.3 | 52 | 95 |
| Nov | 4.5 | 40 | 69 |
| Dec | -1.3 | 30 | 61 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granger | IN | 9 mi | 30,321 | $123,318 | $1,656 |
| Mishawaka | IN | 11 mi | 51,021 | $54,291 | $1,070 |
| Goshen | IN | 11 mi | 34,420 | $59,184 | $1,093 |
| South Bend | IN | 16 mi | 103,085 | $55,786 | $1,033 |
| Niles | MI | 18 mi | 11,803 | $51,376 | $855 |
| Sturgis | MI | 29 mi | 11,054 | $62,710 | $826 |
| Warsaw | IN | 31 mi | 16,768 | $61,035 | $1,066 |
| La Porte | IN | 39 mi | 22,449 | $59,307 | $948 |
| Portage | MI | 40 mi | 49,259 | $83,212 | $1,133 |
| Kalamazoo | MI | 45 mi | 73,076 | $52,272 | $1,078 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
53,733 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$998 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.5% of the median household income.
$51,028 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.8% (BLS county, Elkhart County (latest month 2026M09)).
Indiana. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.