Elkhart-Goshen cost of living
Prices in the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area run at 90.3 against a national average of 100, ranking it #283 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 64.3.
What drives the number
Prices in Elkhart-Goshen run at 90.3 where the national average is 100, so about 9.7 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #283 of 387 metro areas. Against Indiana as a whole it is 3 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 64.3 against goods at 94.3 and other services at 86.4, so the overall figure of 90.3 understates how affordable the housing itself is. It is the opposite of the usual pattern, where housing is what makes a place expensive. Goods at 94.3 are themselves 5.7 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 9.7 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Elkhart-Goshen is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 19,870 | $43,590 | $48,272 | $42,210 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 3,160 | $40,430 | $44,773 | $38,940 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,760 | $28,430 | $31,484 | $30,480 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 2,430 | $65,460 | $72,492 | $71,190 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | 2,290 | $74,860 | $82,901 | $66,780 |
| Cashiers | 2,260 | $28,910 | $32,016 | $31,190 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,220 | $32,310 | $35,781 | $34,580 |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,130 | $45,550 | $50,443 | $43,630 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 90.3.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 103.6 | 112.0 | #40 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | 95.7 | 88.9 | #152 |
| Cincinnati | 95.4 | 87.6 | #160 |
| Bloomington | 95.1 | 85.6 | #165 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | 93.4 | 76.4 | #199 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | 93.1 | 78.6 | #208 |
Elkhart-Goshen: common questions
Is Elkhart-Goshen expensive?
Prices are 9.7% below the national average, a parity of 90.3 where the country is 100. It ranks #283 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Indiana as a whole it is 3 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Elkhart-Goshen?
The median worker there earns $47,050, which buys what $52,104 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 64.3 against goods at 94.3. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.