Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Elkhart - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Elkhart ranks in the 45th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
45th
percentile, household income
9th
percentile, home value
2nd
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Elkhart, KS
Elkhart is a small town in Kansas, home to 1,732 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Elkhart brings in $66,477 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 9.0%. Typical homes in Elkhart are valued around $99,600, and the median resident age is 42.7 years. About 13.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 0 residential units were authorized in 2024 (No Permits). NOAA puts Elkhart's yearly average temperature at 56.0°F with 18.4 inches of precipitation per year and 17.6 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Kansas scores 90.1 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $877 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $217 across Kansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 4.7 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very Low).
Population
1,732 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Kansas
Median Household Income
$66,477/yr
Poverty 9.0%
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average
How does Elkhart compare to other US cities?
Where Elkhart sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income45% higher than other cities
Home value9% pricier than other cities
Median rent2% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Elkhart's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Kansas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
45th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Elkhart's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$99,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 91% of 15,600 US cities
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Income distribution context
Elkhart, KS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Elkhart, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)13.9%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)9.0%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)50.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,732
Median Income
$66,477
Median Home Value
$99,600
Median Age
42.7
Poverty Rate
9.0%
Labor force participation
50.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
13.9%
Climate
Avg Temperature
56.0°F
Annual Precipitation
18.4"
Annual Snowfall
17.6"
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Elkhart's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
0
0
0
-
2020
0
0
0
-
2021
0
0
0
-
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
0
0
0
-
2024
0
0
0
-
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
93.8%
Carpool
2.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
3.1%
Based on 644 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Kansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$217
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Kansas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Cost of living is a Kansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Elkhart sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Elkhart, KS?
What is the population of Elkhart, KS?+
Elkhart, KS counts 1,732 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Elkhart, KS?+
In Elkhart, the typical household earns $66,477 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Elkhart?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Elkhart; the closest available measure is the Kansas state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kansas vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Elkhart, KS?+
The median home value in Elkhart is $99,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the climate like in Elkhart?+
Climate normals put Elkhart's yearly average temperature at 56.0°F, 18.4 inches of precipitation, and 17.6 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.
Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial