Elkhart County Demographic Report on the Population of Elders: An Overview of Census 2000 Data

Population / total
Total in 2000 / 182791
Total in 2006 (est.) / 198105
% Growth 2000-2006 / 8.38%
Ages 65 and over in 2000 / 19841
Ages 65 and over in 2006 / 21574
% 65 and over in 2006 / 10.89%
% Growth (65+) 2000-2006 / 8.7%
Population over 85 in 2006 / 3173
Population est. 55-64 2006 / 14880
Spanish Speakers (65+) / 303
Speak little or no Engl. (65+) / 139

In Elkhart Countythe total population grew rapidlyand the population of elders grew proportionally even faster during the period from 2000 to 2006.

(*Number of seniors ages 65 and over by census tract.)

Income
% of ages 65+ living below poverty level / 6.5
% of total population below poverty level / 7.8
Ages 65+ living below 150% of poverty / 15.65
Labor force participation rate for ages 65+ / 18.71
Unemployment rate (%) among labor force participants ages 65+ / 1.08

The percentage of seniors in Elkhart County that lives below the poverty level is smaller than the percentage of the county’s total populationand also than the percentage of seniors across Indiana (7.7%) that lives below the poverty level. The labor-force participation rate among seniors in Elkhart County is higher than among seniors across Indiana (13.93%), whileunemployment among seniors in the county is much lower than among seniors across the state (3.45%).

The proportion of females to males generally increases in older cohorts.

In Elkhart County the income category between $10,000 and $14,999 contains the largest frequency of seniors, though it is the category between $5,000 and $9,999 in most counties in Indiana. *Note that income categories for this graph are larger for those making more than $54,999.

Housing
Households with 1 or more 65+ / 13783
Number of 65+ householders / 12681
% 65+ householders who own (v. rent) / 79.83
% 65+ householders living in housing built before 1960 / 44.4
% 65+ householders who moved in before 1970 / 33.55
Number of 65+ females living alone / 4449
Number of 65+ male living alone / 1137
% of householders living alone / 44.05
% of 65+ householders who pay >35% of income for housing / 21.91

The percentage of senior householders in Elkhart County who live in older housing is smaller than the percentage of senior householders who live in older housingacross Indiana (48.6%), and the percentage of senior householdersin the county who have been living in the same household for over thirty years is also smaller than the corresponding percentage across the state (37.8%).

Grandparents as Caregivers for Grandchildren 18 Years Old and Younger

Tot. / %
Aged 65+ who live with one or more own grandchildren / 680 / 3.61% (of sample)
Aged 65+ having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 210 / *30.88%
Aged 65+ live with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 480 / *70.59%
Aged 55-64 who live with one or more own grandchildren / 760 / 5.14% (of sample)
Aged 55-64 having primary responsibility for grandchildren / 380 / *50%
Aged 55-64 live with, but not responsible for grandchildren / 380 / *50%

*Percent of total of those who live with one or more of their own grandchildren. Sample size for 65+ = 18820; sample size for ages 55-64 = 14790.

Most householders over 64 years old own their home as opposed to rent, while almost one third of all seniors live alone. The percentage of senior householders in Elkhart County who own their home is slightly smaller than the percentage of senior householderswho own their home across Indiana (82.13%), while the percentage of householders ages 85years and older in the county who own their home is much smaller than the corresponding percentage across the state (70.94%). The percentage of seniors in Elkhart County who live alone is slightly smaller than the percentage of all seniors who live alone across Indiana (29.11%).

Disabilities among Non-institutionalized Population Aged 60+ / Total number
Sensory / 2650
Physical / 5125
learning/remembering/concentrating / 1990
Self-care disability / 1530
Go-outside-home disability / 3430
Employment disability / 385
Percent of ages 65+ with any disability / 41.6

*Categories are not mutually exclusive. (Source: US Census Summary File 3)