Affordable Elkhart Storage Units

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether you are traveling across town or across the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Elkhart.

About Elkhart, IN

The city of Elkhart sits 2 miles south of the Michigan state line. Located in Elkhart County, the town has a population of 52,358. Although Elkhart is the largest town in the county, nearby Goshen is the county seat. Dr. Havilah Beardley founded Elkhart at the spot where the Elkhart River flows into the St. Joseph River. Manufacturing plays a prominent role in Elkhart's current economy.

What to do in Elkhart, IN.

Museums:

• The Elkhart County Historical Museum in nearby Bristol, IN., contains exhibits showcasing over 30,000 local artifacts. The museum includes a library and historical archives.
• The Midwest Museum of American Art features art by Andy Warhol, Red Grooms, Robert Indiana, Grant Wood, and Norman Rockwell.
• The National New York Central Railroad Museum serves as a museum and preservation site for the New York Central Railroad, its predecessors, and successors.
• Elkhart County workers manufacture one out of every two RVs. Enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to the RV Museum.

Gardens:

• Garden lovers have a choice of attractions to visit in Elkhart. Visitors to the Quilt Gardenswill view flower gardens depicting traditional quilt square patterns as well as hand-painted murals. The Quilt Gardens are an inspiration to gardeners and quilters alike.
• Situated on 36 acres, the Wellfield Botanic Gardens features 20 different gardens. A self-described "living museum," the botanic gardens are a place for quiet observation and reflection.
• Garden lovers and shoppers will enjoy a visit to Linton's Enchanted Gardens. This attraction is a for-profit venture.

Other Attractions:

• The Elkhart Environmental Center contains hiking trails, a garden, examples of different ecosystems (wetlands, forest, and prairie), and a boat launch. The Elkhart Environmental Center partners with the city public works department to offer logs to local woodworkers through the ElkhartWood program.
• Elkhart hosts a jazz festival every June. The volunteer-run event showcases over 100 performers and draws over 20,000 audience members to downtown Elkhart.

Working in Elkhart, IN.

Elkhart is known for the manufacturing of recreational vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and musical instruments. At one time, over 60 band instrument manufacturers relied on Elkhart residents for workers. Now, there are only a few, including Conn-Selmer, and Gemeinhardt Flutes. These companies still play a significant role in Elkhart's economy. Elkhart has earned the nicknames "RV Capital of the World" as well as "The Band Instrument Capital of the World." Elkhart's unemployment rate is 4.8%.

The main sector of Elkhart's economy is manufacturing (42.9%). The second-largest sector is retail (9.8%), followed closely by healthcare (9.2%). Education provides 6.1% of the jobs, and accommodation 5.9%. Other (4.1%), wholesale (3.6%), and construction (3.3%) are followed by transportation (3.2%) and administration (2.9%). Only 2.6% of jobs in Elkhart are in professional, scientific, and technical services.

During the next ten years, future job growth is expected to be 52.1%, which is higher than the national of 33.5%.

Elkhart, IN. Neighborhoods

Greenleaf Manor/East Lake Estates: The median housing cost is $218,744. 12.5 % of the residents over the age of five speak Italian. Most homes are owner-occupied. Only 4.5% of homes in this neighborhood are unoccupied. The average renter pays $1,169 per month.

Simonton Lake: The Simonton Lake area attracts older, college-educated professionals. 32.8% of the Simonton Lake community residents work in professional, executive, and management positions. This neighborhood contains a small portion of the lake. The vacancy rate for homes and apartments in this area is 9.5%. The median home price is $161,993.

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary/11th St: A working-class community, 48.5 % of employed residents work in manufacturing. This percent is higher than 98.9% of neighborhoods in the United States. Another 21.9% work in sales and services positions. 22.5 % of the households in this area speak Spanish at home. There are more single moms in this neighborhood than in 96.3 % of communities in the nation. Nine percent of the homes in this area are vacant at any given time. The average monthly rent is $845.

Elkhart, IN. School Districts

Three public school districts operate within Elkhart city limits.Elkhart Community Schools, Baugo Community Schools, and Concord Community Schools serve non-overlapping portions of Elkhart. Each system has a high school, junior high, and at least one elementary school.

Parents can choose to send their child to Montessori School, one of several faith-based day schools, or one of a few private secular schools. Elkhart also has a faith-based alternative high school.

Moving to Elkhart, IN. Resource Guide

The Public Works & Utilities department oversees over 30 city parks and nine city bikeways.

Interurban Trolley provides public transportation in and around the city of Elkhart.

The closest commercial airport is in South Bend, IN., about 30 miles away from Elkhart.

Elkhart, IN. Housing

The median house cost in Elkhart ($137,000) is below the national median ($231,200). The overall cost of living is lower also. It is 79.3% of the national average. The national average exceeds the Elkhart cost of living in all standard categories.