Cost of living in Elkhart research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Elkhart is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Indiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Elkhart is 81, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Elkhart is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Elkhart ranks as the #7 cheapest in Indiana out of 128.
Elkhart ranks as the #158 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Elkhart is $217,569.
The median income in Elkhart is $47,885.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Elkhart has an overall cost of living index of 81, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Indiana, Elkhart has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Indiana's index of 92.
The standard of living in Elkhart ranks as #7 most affordable out of the 128 places we measured in Indiana. By definition, that implies Elkhart ranks as the #121 most expensive place in the Hoosier State.
For more reading on life in Elkhart, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Elkhart. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Elkhart is 87.
The Groceries index in Elkhart is 101.
The Health index in Elkhart is 89.
The Housing index in Elkhart is 62.
The Transportation index in Elkhart is 88.
The Utilities index in Elkhart is 102.
| Living Expense | Elkhart | Indiana | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 81 | 92 | 100 | |
| Services | 87 | 95 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 101 | 97 | 100 | |
| Health | 89 | 94 | 100 | |
| Housing | 62 | 73 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 88 | 94 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 102 | 107 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Indiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Elkhart is $217,569.
The Median Rent in Elkhart is $981.
The Median Income in Elkhart is $47,885.
The Home Value To Income in Elkhart is 4.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Elkhart is 0.25x.
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Elkhart. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Mishawaka, IN has a cost of living index of 85, 1.0x Elkhart.
Goshen, IN has a cost of living index of 88, 1.1x Elkhart.
Granger, IN has a cost of living index of 102, 1.3x Elkhart.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Elkhart |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mishawaka, IN | 50,907 | 85 | 1.0x |
| Goshen, IN | 34,374 | 88 | 1.1x |
| Granger, IN | 30,279 | 102 | 1.3x |
| Niles, MI | 11,838 | 78 | 1.0x |
| Nappanee, IN | 7,040 | 87 | 1.1x |
| Dunlap, IN | 6,602 | 91 | 1.1x |