PlainZIP

Elkhart, IN · standard

ZIP Code 46516

Elkhart County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

33,501
726/sq mi
$56,492
Median income
$153,400
Median home value
17.8%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Elkhart pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

23th pct
household income, US ZIPs
27th pct
home value, US ZIPs
726
people per sq mi
63%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 46516 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 46516 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana, with 33,501 residents across 46.2 square miles, a density of 726 people per square mile, in the Indiana/Indianapolis time zone.

ZIP 46516 reports a modest median household income of $56,492 (23% below the Indiana average), while per-capita income is $29,779. Poverty here runs at 16.5%, with unemployment measured at 4.4%. The typical home here is valued at $153,400 (21% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,016 monthly, and 62.7% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.7, and the average commute is 19 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 8 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 46516, plus 6 more within Elkhart County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 46516

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Elkhart, IN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 46516.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 46516, Elkhart, IN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

33,501

Population

46.2

Area (sq mi)

726

People / sq mi

Indiana/Indianapolis

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 46516?

35.7

Median Age

50.7%

Male

49.3%

Female

14.3%

Foreign-Born

White 66.5%
African American 10.2%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 23.6%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$56,492

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$29,779

Per Capita Income

16.5%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

19.3 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 46516 ranks nationally

Elkhart, IN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$56,492 23rd percentile higher than 23% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. 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 · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 17.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

14,391

Total Housing Units

12,244

Occupied Units

2,147

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 62.7%
Renter 37.3%

$153,400

Median Home Value

-21% vs state

$1,016

Median Rent

1962

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+8.4%

YoY Change (2024)

213

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+113%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 46516 have increased 8.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +113% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +4.2% 142
2021 +14.8% 163
2022 +13.0% 184
2023 +6.7% 197
2024 +8.4% 213

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 889 business establishments in ZIP 46516, employing approximately 18,211 people with a combined annual payroll of $934,494,000.

889

Businesses

18,211

Employees

$934.5M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Manufacturing 181 20.4%
Retail trade 98 11.0%
Wholesale trade 90 10.1%
Other services (except public administration) 80 9.0%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 77 8.7%
Health care and social assistance 65 7.3%
Accommodation and food services 64 7.2%
Construction 51 5.7%
Finance and insurance 51 5.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 35 3.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 32 3.6%
Transportation and warehousing 28 3.1%
Educational services 12 1.4%
Information 10 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 9 1.0%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 46516 vs 46514 →

ZIP 46516 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 46516 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 46516 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 46516 ranks #9 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
46514 Elkhart, IN 40,263 3.6 mi
46517 Elkhart, IN 23,764 4.4 mi
46561 Osceola, IN 13,343 6.8 mi
46507 Bristol, IN 9,128 7.2 mi
46526 Goshen, IN 30,671 9.0 mi
49130 Union, MI 1,659 8.5 mi
49112 Edwardsburg, MI 10,171 9.6 mi
46573 Wakarusa, IN 3,565 11.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Elkhart County

46514 standard
Elkhart, IN
Pop: 40,263
46526 standard
Goshen, IN
Pop: 30,671
46528 standard
Goshen, IN
Pop: 26,104
46517 standard
Elkhart, IN
Pop: 23,764
46550 standard
Nappanee, IN
Pop: 12,311
46540 standard
Middlebury, IN
Pop: 11,702

Related Areas

Elkhart County Elkhart, IN Indiana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 46516 in? ▼
ZIP code 46516 (Elkhart) is located in Elkhart County, Indiana. Elkhart County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/elkhart-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 46516? ▼
ZIP code 46516 in Elkhart, IN has a population of 33,501 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 46516? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 46516 is $56,492, which is 26% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 46516? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 46516 is $153,400, which is 45% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 46516? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 46516 is White at 66.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 23.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 46516? ▼
ZIP code 46516 has 889 business establishments employing approximately 18,211 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 46516? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 46516 are: Manufacturing (181), Retail trade (98), Wholesale trade (90). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 46516? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 46516 increased by 8.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 113%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 46516? ▼
In ZIP code 46516, 55.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 17.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 46516? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 46516 is 19.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 46516? ▼
In ZIP code 46516, approximately 62.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 37.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46516? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 46516 is 16.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.