South Bend – Elkhart
South Bend, Indiana, is the most populous city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County. South Bend is the principal city in the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.* As of 2023, the city had population of 103,395.
Elkhart, Indiana is located about 15 miles east of South Bend and is a principal city in the Elkhart-Goshen Metropolitan Statistical Area.* Elkhart is often called the “RV Capital of the World” because of the high concentration of RV manufacturers in the region. As of 2023, the city had a population of 53,484.
* MSAs are defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.Quick Stats
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The South Bend Futurecast Event
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024
Breakfast served at 8 am.
University Grill
1700 Mishawaka Ave,
South Bend, IN 46615
Closed »
Featured Speakers at the South Bend Futurecast Event
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024
Join us to discuss how the changing economic environment will affect the local region, Indiana and the nation in the coming year.
Registration closed »This event is co-hosted by the IU South Bend Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, the IBRC and the Kelley School of Business.
What did we say last year about the South Bend and Elkhart regions?
Published December 2023
In 2023, the labor markets in the South Bend-Mishawaka and Elkhart-Goshen MSAs exhibited a modest degree of loosening. The size of the labor force either remained stable or experienced a decline in regions marked by higher unemployment rates. Despite an uptick in wage rates in both areas, overall labor costs were mitigated by a reduction in working hours. Within the context of these dynamics, housing prices in St. Joseph County continued their upward trajectory, even as new single-family home construction and sales of existing homes experienced a notable decline.
The South Bend-Mishawaka MSA may see its unemployment rate rise to a range of 4.5% to 5.0% in 2024. The Elkhart-Goshen MSA may experience a rise in unemployment rates ranging from 5.0% to 5.5% in 2024.
Read the full South Bend / Elkhart article »
Each year in December, the Indiana Business Research Center publishes a special Outlook edition of the Indiana Business Review.
Published continuously since 1926, the Indiana Business Review is a quarterly publication that provides analysis and insight on economic and demographic issues.