Elkhart, IN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Indiana·Elkhart

Elkhart County · Elkhart-Goshen · population 53,690

First-time buyers
Elkhart, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Elkhart, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Elkhart stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 5.3% in the last year. rents up 6.9% in the last year.

Median home $225,802
1-year +5.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.1%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$226k$100k$145k$190k$235k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,178/mo$947$1,098$1,24920242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent11711410012020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 16.0
Lean buy

At a 16.0 price-to-rent ratio, Elkhart is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
76 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
72 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
43 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
79 · w10%
Long thesis

Elkhart has held up across the cycle: home values at $225,802 with +6.5% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Elkhart's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Elkhart

Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 53,690. It anchors the Elkhart-Goshen metro area. The median home value in Elkhart is $225,802 as of 2026-04, up 5.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Elkhart average $1,178 per month, up 6.9% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $225,802 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +6.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +5.3% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 6.9% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Elkhart (Wikipedia)

Elkhart is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The population was 53,923 at the 2020 census. The city is located 15 miles (24 km) east of South Bend, Indiana. It is the most populous city in the Elkhart–Goshen metropolitan area, which in turn is part of the South Bend–Elkhart–Mishawaka combined statistical area, in a region commonly known as Michiana.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorRod Roberson
Area28.47 sq mi
Elevation748 ft
PlottedApril 30, 1832
Density1960.27/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Elkhart County right now.

NWS active alerts (IN)Indiana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Elkhart County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Elkhart

35 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Bent Oak$353,538+3.4%
2East Lake$323,288+2.8%
3Greenleaf Manor$284,533+4.0%
4Evergreen$259,266+2.5%
5Rivercreek$246,969+3.3%
6Riverview$222,618+6.3%
7Middlebury South$214,353+8.2%
8Grant$210,072+5.8%
9East Jackson$204,051+4.5%
10Pierre Moran$199,900+4.5%
11South Benham$198,067+6.1%
12McNaughton$196,380+2.4%
13Strong$189,991-0.6%
14Southdale$184,431+5.4%
15Christiana$177,345+8.1%
16Riverside$176,477+5.6%
17Pulaski$176,457+0.1%
18Woodlawn$173,171+5.2%
19Baker Park$171,298+6.2%
20Beardsley$168,728+4.6%
21Hayden$164,307+7.0%
22Pleasant-Prairie$164,060-0.7%
23West Lusher$161,490+2.5%
24Bower$160,129-0.0%

See the full neighborhood ranking →

Cities like Elkhart

Goshen, IN73 · RisingKokomo, IN73 · RisingJasper, IN73 · RisingClarksville, IN71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Elkhart

ToolCan I afford Elkhart?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Elkhart rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Elkhart to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolElkhart cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 19°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
20″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Elkhart listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Elkhart-Goshen area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,200
Indiana state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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