Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Elkhart Lake - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.
Nationally, Elkhart Lake sits in the 67th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
67th
percentile, household income
62nd
percentile, home value
30th
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 Lake, WI
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 1,097 residents in Elkhart Lake, a small town within Wisconsin. Elkhart Lake households earn a median of $86,071 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.8%. Home values in Elkhart Lake run a median of $285,200, and the median resident age is 57.4 years. Educational attainment runs 49.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 37.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 78 residential building permits were authorized in Elkhart Lake (Building Boom), up 7700% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.
Living costs in Wisconsin run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Wisconsin at 94.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,116 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Wisconsin run around $225, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.2 out of 100 (High).
Population
1,097 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Wisconsin
Median Household Income
$86,071/yr
Poverty 3.8%
Cost of Living Index (state)
94.1 (US=100)
Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Wisconsin average
How does Elkhart Lake compare to other US cities?
Here's how Elkhart Lake stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income67% higher than other cities
Home value62% pricier than other cities
Median rent30% 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 Lake'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 Wisconsin, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
67th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Elkhart Lake's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$285,20038th percentilemore affordable than 38% 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 Lake, WI'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 Lake, WI. Diagonal = perfect equality.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)49.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)37.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,097
Median Income
$86,071
Median Home Value
$285,200
Median Age
57.4
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Labor force participation
37.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.4%
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Elkhart Lake's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Housing Supply
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
78
housing units authorized
Single-Family
78
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
71.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.3M
2020
11
11
0
$4.1M
2021
12
8
4
$7.1M
2022
9
9
0
$4.0M
2023
63
13
50
$16.2M
2024
78
78
0
$21.4M
Permit volume increased 7700% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
84.2%
Carpool
2.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.7%
Work from Home
9.4%
Based on 374 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Wisconsin - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Elkhart Lake sits in
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Elkhart Lake, WI?
What is the population of Elkhart Lake, WI?+
Elkhart Lake, WI counts 1,097 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Elkhart Lake, WI?+
The median household income in Elkhart Lake is $86,071 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in Elkhart Lake?+
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Elkhart Lake; the closest available measure is the Wisconsin state average, a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Wisconsin vary by metro area.
What is the median home value in Elkhart Lake, WI?+
A typical home in Elkhart Lake is worth $285,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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