Ash road, 2007
Wakarusa’s story
166 years in pictures
Census counts: 245 in 1870, 1,998 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1860Wakarusa is settled
WakarusaIN
A town of 2,005, settled in 1860.
Population
2,005
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$319K
+5.3% in a year
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
39.4
years
Jobs based here
2,113
A job hub
Is Wakarusa a good place to live?
The best of Wakarusa’s subject grades are an A+ for schools and an A− for cost of living. Only 10 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score higher on hazard risk. Wakarusa’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, against 24 minutes in Indiana’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Wakarusa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Wakarusa stand out
Where Wakarusa beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA+
Lower risk than 95% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,113
Residents who work829
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Typical home value
Wakarusa$319K
Indiana$257K
Cost of livingA−
4.7 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 85% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A growing town
Wakarusa has grown 14% since 2010
1,758 counted in 2010 and 1,998 in 2020; an estimated 2,005 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Wakarusa grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Wakarusa is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →SchoolsBeat 95% of Indiana districts on tests and graduationA+Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 4.1% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$74K median household incomeC+Open →HealthCommunity Hospital of Bremen 9.1 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailC−Open →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life5.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wakarusa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wakarusa, and how to reach them.
PowerNIPSCO22.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWakarusa Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wakarusa’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereElkhart County Circuit Court ClerkElkhart County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code4657346573 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wakarusa.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Wakarusa has 2.5 jobs for every working resident, and 1,981 people commute in
Most working residents leave Wakarusa for work: only 16% work in town. Since 2013, Wakarusa has added 261 jobs, to 2,113 in 2023. The top destinations are Elkhart (14%), Goshen (13%) and Nappanee (10%).
16%work in town
| Wakarusa | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 11% | 8% |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Wakarusa16%
Elkhart14%
Goshen13%
Nappanee10%
Mishawaka5%
11 mi
median commute distance
2,113
jobs based in Wakarusa
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Wakarusa stands out in Indiana and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
Wakarusa’s FEMA risk score is 5 of 100, where Indiana’s towns sit at 38 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Wakarusa since 2018.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2018
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Wakarusa is valued at about $319K
The typical Wakarusa home is worth about $319,000, up 5.3% in a year, 24% above the Indiana typical home. 85% of Wakarusa households own their home.
$319KZillow home value
| Wakarusa | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 85% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $955 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Wakarusa$319K
Indiana$257K
+5.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Wakarusa has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Wakarusa has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 45 inches of snow falls in a winter.
45″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–34°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Indiana overall
26% of residents are under 18 in Wakarusa. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
39.4median age · IN 38.1
| Wakarusa | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 22% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 18% | 18% |
WakarusaIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma15%
High school37%
Some college13%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Wakarusa | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.9% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.5% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.8% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.7% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.6% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.1% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.6% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.6% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.7% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB−
Wakarusa ranks healthier than 55% of the country’s towns
Wakarusa beats the Indiana average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
55%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Wakarusa | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 80% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Wakarusa | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 14.7% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.3% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.3% |
Community Hospital of Bremen
9.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,449 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stan & Steve Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 35 attractions →Notre Dame Stadium and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wakarusa. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
17 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
23 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
16 mi MuseumStudebaker National Museum14 mi Zoo & aquariumPotawatomi Zoo
40 mi State parkWarren Dunes State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wakarusa
19pages on Wakarusa
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Wakarusa
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elkhart8.9 miGoshen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Goshen9.9 mi$38,890 tuitionIndiana University-South BendUniversity or college · Public · South Bend14.2 mi$8,424 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Wakarusa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,981 people come to Wakarusa for work
Where Wakarusa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,113jobs based in Wakarusa
16%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wakarusa
Town in Indiana, United States
Wakarusa is a town in Harrison and Olive townships in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wakarusa had a population of 1,998. Wakarusa is a small farming and manufacturing community located on Indiana 19 just north of Indiana 119. The town is 12 miles (19 km) south of Elkhart, 25 miles (40 km) southeast of South Bend, 120 miles (190 km) east of Chicago, and 140 miles (230 km) north of Indianapolis.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 840 ft
- ZIP code
- 46573
- Area code
- 574
Questions about Wakarusa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wakarusa, IN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.