Town guide

Elkhart, Iowa

Elkhart is a city in Polk County, Iowa, home to about 899 people across 1.8 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50073.

Homes sold for a median of $264 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population899505 per sq mi
Median home value$253,900Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$264Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking40%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Elkhart

1 ZIP code

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Elkhart. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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Around Elkhart

Distances

Nearest major airportDes Moines International Airport (DSM)19 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Omaha, NE136 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL300 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Elkhart; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Elkhart

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Elkhart had 882 residents in the 2020 census, up 144% since 2000.

It’s the 318th largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.

Polk County grew from 82,624 residents in 1900 to 492,401 in 2020.

Elkhart population by census2000: 362, 2010: 683, 2020: 882362200068320108822020

Polk County, 1900–2020

Polk County population, 1900 to 20201900: 82,624, 1910: 110,438, 1920: 154,029, 1930: 172,837, 1940: 195,835, 1950: 226,010, 1960: 266,315, 1970: 286,101, 1980: 303,170, 1990: 327,140, 2000: 374,601, 2010: 430,640, 2020: 492,40183K’00’10154K’20’30196K’40’50266K’60’70303K’80’90375K’00’10492K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 86°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 25 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near ElkhartJan: high 30°F, low 12°F, 1 in; Feb: high 34°F, low 16°F, 1 in; Mar: high 47°F, low 27°F, 2 in; Apr: high 61°F, low 38°F, 4 in; May: high 72°F, low 50°F, 5.3 in; Jun: high 82°F, low 61°F, 5.4 in; Jul: high 86°F, low 65°F, 4.2 in; Aug: high 84°F, low 62°F, 4.7 in; Sep: high 77°F, low 53°F, 3.6 in; Oct: high 64°F, low 41°F, 2.7 in; Nov: high 48°F, low 29°F, 1.9 in; Dec: high 35°F, low 18°F, 1.4 in30°12°Jan1.034°16°Feb1.047°27°Mar2.061°38°Apr4.072°50°May5.382°61°Jun5.486°65°Jul4.284°62°Aug4.777°53°Sep3.664°41°Oct2.748°29°Nov1.935°18°Dec1.4Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ankeny, IA weather station (8 miles away).

Jobs in Polk County

295,413 jobs at 13,890 businesses in Polk County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Polk CountyHealth care and social assistance: 41,657 jobs; Finance and insurance: 39,449 jobs; Retail trade: 33,537 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 25,640 jobs; Professional services: 22,015 jobs; Manufacturing: 19,932 jobs; Construction: 18,804 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 17,302 jobsHealth care and social assistance 14% Finance and insurance 13% Retail trade 11% Hotels and restaurants 9% Professional services 8% Manufacturing 7% Construction 6% Transportation and warehousing 6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

Nearest hospitals

  • Va Central Iowa Healthcare SystemVA hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Des Moines13.4 miles
  • Broadlawns Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Des Moines13.7 miles
  • Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 1 of 5 · Des Moines14.4 miles

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.

Places in and around Elkhart

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Prairie Pointe Park · 11 acres0.4 mi
  • Elkhart Memorial Park · 4 acres0.1 mi
  • Elkhart City Park · 3 acres0.3 mi

Grocery stores

  • Fareway4.6 mi
  • ALDI4.9 mi

Pharmacies

  • Walgreens4.7 mi
  • Medicap Pharmacy5.1 mi

Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

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Where Elkhart is

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Towns near Elkhart

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.