46517 ZIP Code — Elkhart, IN
Elkhart County, Indiana
ZIP code 46517 is located in Elkhart, Indiana, within Elkhart County. It covers approximately 36.92 square miles and serves a population of 26,711 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 574.
About ZIP code 46517
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $157,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.
Median household income is $52,519.
The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 19 minutes is near the national average.
College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.
Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.
26,711
population
36.92
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
46517 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 46517
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46517. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Elkhart | Acceptable |
| Elkhart | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
46516 Elkhart (3.4 mi)
46561 Osceola (5.9 mi)
46573 Wakarusa (6.5 mi)
46514 Elkhart (7 mi)
46526 Goshen (7.7 mi)
46544 Mishawaka (8.1 mi)
46545 Mishawaka (9.8 mi)
46528 Goshen (10.1 mi)
46507 Bristol (10.8 mi)
46530 Granger (10.9 mi)
46553 New Paris (11.8 mi)
46615 South Bend (12.8 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 26,711 |
| Population density | 723 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 18 |
| County FIPS | 039 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 36.92 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.01 sq mi |
| Latitude | 41.6173 |
| Longitude | -85.9817 |
| Timezone | Eastern (ET) |
| Area code | 574 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 50.5% | 42.0% | 42.9% |
| $50k – $100k | 33.2% | 34.8% | 32.7% |
| $100k – $200k | 14.2% | 19.5% | 19.8% |
| Over $200k | 2.0% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
Demographics & statistics
26,711
Population
723
People per sq mi
34.9
Median age
$52,519
Median household income
$25,310
Per capita income
$157,000
Median home value
$845
Median monthly rent
60.1%
Home ownership
17.1%
Poverty rate
2.4%
Unemployment
6,610
Housing units
15.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
860
Under 5
921
1,040
5–9
1,113
1,085
10–14
1,161
1,115
15–19
1,193
835
20–24
894
1,529
25–34
1,638
1,642
35–44
1,758
1,639
45–54
1,755
679
55–59
727
626
60–64
670
1,069
65–74
1,144
476
75–84
510
305
85+
327
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 7,717 | 28.9% |
| 18 and over | 18,994 | 71.1% |
| 65 and over | 3,831 | 14.3% |
| Median age | 34.9 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
54.9%
Hispanic or Latino
16.6%
Other race
11.4%
Black or African American
8.9%
Two or more races
7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Asian
0.2%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 17,588 | 54.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,321 | 16.6% |
| Other race | 3,652 | 11.4% |
| Black or African American | 2,844 | 8.9% |
| Two or more races | 2,355 | 7.4% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 189 | 0.6% |
| Asian | 76 | 0.2% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 50.5% | 42.0% | 42.9% |
| $50k – $100k | 33.2% | 34.8% | 32.7% |
| $100k – $200k | 14.2% | 19.5% | 19.8% |
| Over $200k | 2.0% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
Under $10k
7.7%
$10k–$15k
3.4%
$15k–$25k
11.8%
$25k–$35k
10.7%
$35k–$50k
13.7%
$50k–$75k
20.4%
$75k–$100k
13.4%
$100k–$150k
11.7%
$150k–$200k
3.1%
$200k+
4.0%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 7.7% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.4% |
| $15k–$25k | 11.8% |
| $25k–$35k | 10.7% |
| $35k–$50k | 13.7% |
| $50k–$75k | 20.4% |
| $75k–$100k | 13.4% |
| $100k–$150k | 11.7% |
| $150k–$200k | 3.1% |
| $200k+ | 4.0% |
| Median income | $52,519 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
5.7%
$50k–$100k
11.8%
$100k–$150k
28.9%
$150k–$200k
20.1%
$200k–$300k
21.8%
$300k–$500k
10.0%
$500k–$1M
1.0%
$1M+
0.7%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $157,000 |
| Median rent / month | $845 |
| Owner occupied | 60.1% |
| Renter occupied | 39.9% |
| Vacant | 10.0% |
| Single-family detached | 65.1% |
| Large apartment buildings | 7.5% |
| Mobile homes | 4.0% |
| Median rooms | 5.3 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.83 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 2.1% |
| 2000–2009 | 8.9% |
| 1990–1999 | 14.9% |
| 1980–1989 | 11.5% |
| 1970–1979 | 21.3% |
| 1960–1969 | 13.6% |
| 1950–1959 | 13.4% |
| 1940–1949 | 5.8% |
| 1939 or earlier | 8.4% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 2.0% |
| 1 bedroom | 13.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 25.7% |
| 3 bedrooms | 42.2% |
| 4 bedrooms | 13.7% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 3.4% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 8.3% |
| 1 vehicle | 32.0% |
| 2 vehicles | 40.3% |
| 3 or more | 19.5% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 82.6% |
| Electricity | 14.9% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.4% |
| Wood | 0.9% |
| No fuel used | 0.2% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 3,904 | 42.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 584 | 6.3% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,891 | 20.3% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 2,916 | 31.4% |
| Households with children under 18 | 3,457 | 37.2% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,481 | 26.7% |
| Average household size | 2.76 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 41.6% | 35.4% |
| Married | 44.4% | 41.3% |
| Separated | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Widowed | 2.3% | 10.5% |
| Divorced | 9.4% | 12.0% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
6.5%
Some HS, no diploma
12.4%
HS graduate
39.5%
Some college, no degree
17.9%
Associate's degree
7.9%
Bachelor's degree
11.6%
Graduate / professional
4.2%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 81.1% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 15.8% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 112 | 1.6% |
| Kindergarten | 344 | 5.0% |
| Elementary school | 3,525 | 51.1% |
| High school | 1,985 | 28.8% |
| College / grad school | 931 | 13.5% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Manufacturing
37.5%
Education & healthcare
16.1%
Retail trade
10.3%
Arts, food & hospitality
7.2%
Professional & management
6.1%
Other services
4.3%
Transportation & utilities
3.8%
Finance & real estate
3.8%
Wholesale trade
3.6%
Construction
3.3%
Public administration
2.1%
Agriculture & mining
1.0%
Information
0.8%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 21.6% |
| Service | 14.5% |
| Sales & office | 22.1% |
| Natural resources & construction | 6.9% |
| Production & transportation | 34.9% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 90.6% |
| Government | 5.8% |
| Self-employed | 3.5% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.0% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 72.2% |
| Carpool | 22.7% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.3% |
| Work from home | 3.5% |
| Other means | 0.1% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 19.3 |
Poverty
All people
17.1%
Under 18 years
25.9%
18 and over
13.3%
Married-couple families
3.9%
Female-led households
50.2%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 29.0% |
| Retirement income | 17.0% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.4% |
| Cash public assistance | 3.5% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 12.7% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 38.8% |
| High blood pressure | 33.8% |
| High cholesterol | 31.5% |
| Diabetes | 11.6% |
| Heart disease | 6.7% |
| Stroke | 3.4% |
| Asthma | 10.2% |
| Arthritis | 23.7% |
| Kidney disease | 3.1% |
| Pulmonary disease | 8.5% |
| Cancer | 6.1% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 22.2% |
| Binge drinking | 15.7% |
| No physical activity | 30.0% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 35.9% |
| Depression | 22.0% |
| Fair or poor health | 19.0% |
| Poor mental health | 16.3% |
| Poor physical health | 12.1% |
| No health insurance | 20.0% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.5% |
| Visited dentist | 58.4% |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.5% |
| Teeth loss | 20.8% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 987 | 5.2% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 12.8% |
| Under 18 | 4.5% |
| 18–64 years | 11.6% |
| 65 and over | 35.9% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 59.1% |
| Public insurance | 36.8% |
| No insurance | 13.3% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 11.4% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 24,930 | 93.3% |
| Spanish | 2,363 | 9.5% |
| Other Indo-European | 2,317 | 9.3% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 21 | 0.1% |
| Other languages | 25 | 0.1% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 23,290 | 87.2% |
| Born in same state | 22,751 | 85.2% |
| Born in different state | 17,824 | 66.7% |
| Foreign born | 539 | 2.0% |
| Naturalized citizen | 3,421 | 12.8% |
| Not a US citizen | 1,215 | 35.5% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 1,860 | 7% |
| French | 1,466 | 5.5% |
| Arab | 1,015 | 3.8% |
| English | 370 | 1.4% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Irish | 282 | 1.1% |
| German | 67 | 0.3% |
| Polish | 45 | 0.2% |
| Norwegian | 19 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 34.8% |
| Internet access | 92.8% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46517
What city is ZIP code 46517 in?
ZIP code 46517 is primarily assigned to Elkhart, Indiana.
What county is ZIP code 46517 in?
ZIP code 46517 falls within Elkhart County, Indiana.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46517?
17% of residents in ZIP code 46517 live below the poverty line, above the national average.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 46517?
The median home value in ZIP code 46517 is $157,000.
What is the population of ZIP code 46517?
ZIP code 46517 has an estimated population of 26,711 residents, with a density of 724 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 46517?
The median household income in ZIP code 46517 is $52,519, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 46517 in?
ZIP code 46517 observes the EST timezone.