Overall
90.3
Below avg
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
Cost-of-living indicators for Elkhart-Goshen, IN, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 90.3
- Overall RPP
- #283
- of 387 metros
- 64.3
- Rents RPP
- $111K
- $100K national buys
Elkhart ranks #283 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has fallen 6.3 points since 2008.
- falling since 2008
- similar cost to Abilene
The verdict
Elkhart costs less than 73% of U.S. metros, an overall index of 90.3, 9.7% below the national average, with rents the biggest swing at 64.3.
- bottom 27%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 94.3
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 86.4
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $110,711 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $90,325.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Elkhart's overall RPP fell -2.2 points, from 92.5 in 2023 to 90.3 in 2024. The largest category movement was rents, changing from 77.0 to 64.3. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending downward, decreasing by 6.3 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2022, when the index jumped 3.9 points from the year before.
Elkhart overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 96.6 |
| 2009 | 94.1 |
| 2010 | 92.9 |
| 2011 | 93.5 |
| 2012 | 92.6 |
| 2013 | 91.3 |
| 2014 | 92.2 |
| 2015 | 92.1 |
| 2016 | 90.1 |
| 2017 | 91.0 |
| 2018 | 92.5 |
| 2019 | 91.4 |
| 2020 | 91.0 |
| 2021 | 87.7 |
| 2022 | 91.6 |
| 2023 | 92.5 |
| 2024 | 90.3 |
Housing-led affordability profile
How Elkhart's cost structure works
Housing is the strongest affordability offset in Elkhart: rents index at 64.3, the component furthest below the national benchmark. That does not make every local expense low, but it is the clearest explanation for the metro's overall RPP of 90.3.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Springfield, MO, Jefferson City, MO, Evansville, IN. They resemble Elkhart across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Elkhart's overall index has fallen by 6.3 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Elkhart vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
90 Bottom 27% higher than 27% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. 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. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Elkhart cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
64.3 RPP
- Services
Services
86.4 RPP
- Overall
Overall
90.3 RPP
- Goods
Goods
94.3 RPP
What this shows Elkhart's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 64.3 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 86.4. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Elkhart's cost comes from
Metros near Elkhart's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Elkhart (Elkhart, this metro): goods RPP 94.3, rents RPP 64.3
- Abilene: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 73.8
- Lawrence: goods RPP 94, rents RPP 71.6
- Oklahoma City: goods RPP 93.8, rents RPP 73.9
- Las Cruces: goods RPP 96.1, rents RPP 63
- Bowling Green: goods RPP 96.2, rents RPP 63.4
- Springfield: goods RPP 93.6, rents RPP 61.7
Price Index Summary
Goods
94.3
Below avg
Services
86.4
Cheap
Rents
64.3
Cheap
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$90,325
in Elkhart-Goshen, IN purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$45,163
$75,000 nationally
$67,744
$125,000 nationally
$112,906
$150,000 nationally
$135,488
$200,000 nationally
$180,650
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
B
78/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability B
78th percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
IN-relative analysis
Goods prices places Elkhart-Goshen, IN near the bottom of IN's metros
Among the 12 IN metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Elkhart-Goshen, IN ranks #1 - the 8th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Elkhart-Goshen, IN only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#1 of 12
8th percentile in IN
Services prices
#9 of 12
25th percentile in IN
Rent prices
#9 of 12
25th percentile in IN
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within IN only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Elkhart-Goshen, IN: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (90.3 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (64.3 here).
Other IN Metros
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 95.7 Bloomington, IN 95.1 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 93.4 Columbus, IN 93.0 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 92.9 Fort Wayne, IN 92.6
View all IN metros → Cheapest in IN → Most expensive in IN →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Elkhart's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Springfield, MO
Goods 94.2 · Services 85.8 · Rents 65.6 Jefferson City, MO
Goods 94.2 · Services 85.5 · Rents 62.1 Evansville, IN
Goods 94.3 · Services 86.7 · Rents 66.7 Montgomery, AL
Goods 96.4 · Services 84.9 · Rents 64.3 St. Cloud, MN
Goods 95.4 · Services 88.7 · Rents 65.1 Topeka, KS
Goods 94.0 · Services 88.9 · Rents 65.0
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Elkhart-Goshen, IN's index of 90.3.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Elkhart
How to read Elkhart's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $110,711 in Elkhart. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 64.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Elkhart head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?
Elkhart-Goshen, IN has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 90.3, meaning it is 9.7% less expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 94.3, services at 86.4, and rents at 64.3. It ranks #283 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Elkhart-Goshen, IN to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $90,325 in Elkhart-Goshen, IN. Conversely, $100K earned in Elkhart-Goshen, IN has the purchasing power of $110,711 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?
Rents in Elkhart-Goshen, IN are indexed at 64.3, which is 35.7% below the national average. This makes the area relatively affordable for renters.
Is Elkhart-Goshen, IN getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Elkhart-Goshen, IN's overall cost index changed by -6.3 points (from 96.6 to 90.3). The cost of living has been declining.
What costs the most in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?
The priciest category in Elkhart-Goshen, IN is goods at 94.3, 5.7% below the national average, still the highest of the three categories. The most affordable category is rents at 64.3, 35.7% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Elkhart-Goshen, IN?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Abilene, Lawrence, Oklahoma City. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Elkhart-Goshen, IN's 90.3.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.