Boys walking fence. Washington, Indiana, 1941
Washington Township’s story
Washington Township in pictures
The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
Explore the history →Washington TownshipElkhart County, IN
A town of 7,010.
Population
7,010
2025 Census estimate · +1.9% since 2020
Median home value
$239K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
33.9
years
Jobs based here
7,525
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#555 of 585 in IN
Is Washington Township a good place to live?
Washington Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, 555th among Indiana's 585 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is incomes: the median household earns $71K. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its schools rank behind 77% of the state's. A typical home there costs about $239K, 3.5 years of the Elkhart metro’s $69K median household income. 32% of residents are under 18 in Washington Township, above both Indiana’s towns (23%) and U.S. towns (22%). On hazard risk, just 40 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns do better. Lieber Nature Preserve, at 109 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Washington Township stand out
Where Washington Township beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here7,525
Residents who work3,342
Work
2.3 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 91% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
A job hub
Every workday, about 7,086 people come to Washington Township for work
Where Washington Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
7,525jobs based in Washington Township
13%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Washington Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Washington Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsC−Open →HealthElkhart General Hospital 7.5 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 10.4% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & incomeBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 2% conserved landCOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.1 library visits per resident; 2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−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 Washington Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washington Township, and how to reach them.
PowerNIPSCO22.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBristol Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Washington Township’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 codes46507, 4651646507 93% · 46516 6%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 Washington Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in three of Washington Township’s working residents commute to Elkhart
7,525 jobs are based in Washington Township, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Among working residents in Washington Township, 13% work locally. The town had 7,525 jobs in 2023, up 1,722 from 2013. The average commute for Washington Township comes to 20 minutes. The top destinations are Elkhart (32%), Goshen (10%) and Bristol (9%).
13%work in town
| Washington Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Washington Township13%
Elkhart32%
Goshen10%
Bristol9%
Middlebury4%
9 mi
median commute distance
7,525
jobs based in Washington Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC−
Washington Township’s grade for schools is a C−
Public schools: the Elkhart Community Schools. Its one school is below. 296 students attend Washington Township’s public school.
23%of IN districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 296 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
The biggest natural risk in Washington Township is inland flooding, at a very low overall level
Washington Township’s FEMA risk score is 9 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 51% come from inland flooding and 18% from cold waves. The national flood insurance program has paid 7 claims in the town since 2007.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
7
paid flood claims since 2007
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
Residents of Washington Township are less healthy than three in four U.S. towns
For adults in Washington Township, the share who smoke cigarettes is 18%. In Washington Township, two in five adults have high blood pressure, and 14% have diabetes.
24%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Washington Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Washington Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 8.1% |
Elkhart General Hospital
7.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
38th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
More children than Indiana overall
For Washington Township, the age of the median resident is 33.9 years. Among adults 25 and older, 22% have a four-year degree or more, against 30% across Indiana. In Washington Township, 16% of residents are 65 or older.
33.9median age · IN 38.1
| Washington Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.9 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 18% | 18% |
Washington TownshipIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school36%
Some college23%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s11%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Washington Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 18.5% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.2% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.6% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.3% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
Washington Township: four seasons and pleasant summers
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 37 inches of snow a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall42–62°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC
In Washington Township, 2.3% of the land is conserved
1.9 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The concentration of trails in Washington Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#342for trails in IN
| Washington Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
2.3%
conserved · 376 of 16,589 acres
1.9 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lieber Nature Preserve | 1.1 mi | 109 |
| 2. Congdon Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 3. Elkhart Bog Nature Preserve | — | 85 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Washington Township
18pages on Washington Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Washington Township
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elkhart8.8 miGoshen CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Goshen11.3 mi$38,890 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Washington Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
About Washington Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Washington Township is one of sixteen townships in Elkhart County, Indiana, USA. At the 2000 census, its population was 6,945.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 26 sq mi
- Elevation
- 778 ft
Washington Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Washington Township.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Osolo Township (C−) is closest.
Osolo TownshipYork TownshipJefferson TownshipPorter TownshipElkhartWashington Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | #555 | C− | B− | — | C− | C− |
| Osolo Township | #539 | C− | B− | — | C− | C− |
| York Township | #409 | C+ | C | — | B+ | C− |
| Jefferson Township | #292 | B | C+ | — | B+ | C |
| Elkhart | #514 | C | B+ | — | C− | D |
Washington Township, Osolo Township, York Township, Jefferson Township and Elkhart report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Washington Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Washington Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Washington Township, IN a good place to live?
Washington Township grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #555 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C− for health and C− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Washington Township, IN expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.