City · Iowa
Elkhart, Iowa
Elkhart, city, in Polk County, Iowa. Elkhart had 1,097 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 23.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 882 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 899 (±219). GEOID 1924735.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,097
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 882 · ACS 2020-2024: 899 ±219
Median household income
$84,554
±$13,878 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$253,900
±$19,001 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$836
±$805 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Elkhart and what county is it in?
Elkhart is a city in Polk County, Iowa. It covers 1.9 square miles of land, 468 residents per square mile in 2020.
Elkhart is in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Elkhart, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,097 people lived in Elkhart on July 1, 2025, up 23.7% since 2020, faster than Iowa (+1.5%). The 2020 Census counted 882 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 899 (±219).
| Measure | Elkhart | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 899 ±219 | 503,175 | no clear change |
| Households | 349 ±74 | 205,358 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.58 ±0.32 | 2.41 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 378 ±81 | 218,486 | no clear change |
Elkhart's population since 2000
From 362 in 2000 to 1,097 in 2025: up 203.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Elkhart as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Elkhart?
The median resident of Elkhart is 32.9 years old; 29.5% are under 18 and 9.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.5%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 4.6%.
| Measure | Elkhart | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.9 ±3.2 | 36.2 | −6.8 |
| Under 18 years | 29.5% ±6.0 pts | 24.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 9.8% ±4.9 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Male | 52.9% ±4.0 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.6% ±3.8 pts | 10.4% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.5% ±5.6 pts | 73.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.8% ±2.8 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±2.0 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.6% ±2.0 pts | 10.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 2.2% ±1.8 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.7% ±3.8 pts | 5.6% | – |
| With a disability | 7.2% ±3.4 pts | 11.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.9% ±2.6 pts | 5.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.2% ±4.8 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 28.1% ±7.0 pts | 40.3% | +10.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.0% ±1.6 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.9% ±4.6 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±1.2 pts | 2.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Elkhart earn?
Half of Elkhart's 349 households earn less than $84,554 a year (±$13,878), against $83,576 in Polk County and $75,059 in Iowa. In 2015-2019 it was $72,303 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Elkhart | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $84,554 ±$13,878 | $83,576 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $93,340 ±$11,036 | $109,398 | – |
| Per capita income | $36,553 ±$4,802 | $45,622 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.7% ±6.7 pts | 10.3% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 12.5% ±10.8 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 11.5% ±7.4 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 98.9% ±1.4 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5% ±6.1 pts | 91.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Elkhart?
Owners occupy 81.1% of Elkhart's occupied homes and renters 18.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $253,900 by its owner (±$19,001).
| Measure | Elkhart | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $253,900 ±$19,001 | $262,100 | +$68,681 |
| Median gross rent | $836 ±$805 | $1,149 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 22.7% ±23.9 pts | 35.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,688 ±$69 | $1,741 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 81.1% ±8.9 pts | 67.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 18.9% ±8.9 pts | 32.6% | – |
| Housing units | 378 ±81 | 218,486 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±7.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 12.0% ±17.8 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 66.1% ±11.3 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 12.7% ±6.4 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 12.2% ±6.9 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 18.8% ±7.0 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.1% ±4.4 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.3% ±1.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Elkhart building?
Builders took permits for 19 new housing units in Elkhart in 2025 (19 in single-family houses), 17.3 per 1,000 residents against 4.2 across Iowa.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Elkhart work and get to work?
79.8% of Elkhart's workers drive alone and 11.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.9 minutes.
| Measure | Elkhart | Polk County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 78.9% ±6.4 pts | 71.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.3% ±1.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 79.8% ±5.1 pts | 72.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.9% ±3.7 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 1.5% ±2.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.3% ±4.7 pts | 15.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.9 min ±4.4 | 20.0 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Elkhart?
No census tract lies mostly in Elkhart; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 101.01Polk County | 5,927 | $136,923 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Elkhart) · Census block assignment files
How does Elkhart compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Elkhart is the 9,912th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 257th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Elkhart is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 257th | 939 |
Elkhart's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Elkhart with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Elkhart?
20 of the 57 figures for Elkhart on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Elkhart are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Elkhart.