Population
Battle Creek
52,392
Elkhart
53,726
Median Income
Battle Creek
$51,699
Elkhart
$47,885
Home Value
Battle Creek
$127,600
Elkhart
$126,900
Rent
Battle Creek
$934
Elkhart
$981
Crime Rate
Battle Creek
11.22
Elkhart
9.97
Cost of Living
Battle Creek
87.4
Elkhart
84.5
Avg Temp
Battle Creek
N/A
Elkhart
N/A
Unemployment
Battle Creek
7.4%
Elkhart
3.5%
How Similar Are Battle Creek & Elkhart?
Elkhart is Battle Creek's #3 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Battle Creek
52,392
Elkhart
53,726
Both cities have similar populations — Battle Creek at 52,392 and Elkhart at 53,726.
Violent Crime
Battle Creek
11.22
Elkhart
9.97
Battle Creek has a 11% higher violent crime than Elkhart.
Property Crime
Battle Creek
25.23
Elkhart
25.99
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 3% difference.
Political Leaning
Battle Creek
56.4%
Elkhart
65.5%
Both cities lean Republican, but Elkhart has a stronger Republican lean (14% difference).
Unemployment
Battle Creek
7.4%
Elkhart
3.5%
Battle Creek's unemployment is significantly higher than Elkhart's — 52% difference.
Median Income
Battle Creek
$51,699
Elkhart
$47,885
Both cities have similar median income — just a 7% difference.
Home Values
Battle Creek
$127,600
Elkhart
$126,900
Both cities have similar home values — just a 1% difference.
Education
Battle Creek
14.7%
Elkhart
11.2%
Battle Creek has a 24% higher education than Elkhart.
Demographics
Battle Creek
64.8%
Elkhart
62.5%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 3% difference.
Cost of Living
Battle Creek
87.4
Elkhart
84.5
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Battle Creek and Elkhart share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Battle Creek
0
Elkhart
Battle Creek leads in 6 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Elkhart leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDElkhart scores 84.5 on the overall cost index (100 = national avg) vs 87.4 in Battle Creek. Elkhart has a living wage (family of 4) of $87,867 vs $90,872 in Battle Creek. Elkhart has a living wage (1 adult) of $37,175 vs $38,446 in Battle Creek.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Battle Creek leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSElkhart has a median property tax of $1,159 vs $2,097 in Battle Creek (81% lower). Battle Creek has a single-family homes of 69.1% compared to 54.8% in Elkhart. Battle Creek has a vacancy rate of 10.5% compared to 14.1% in Elkhart.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Battle Creek leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBattle Creek has a work from home of 7.2% compared to 2.6% in Elkhart. Elkhart has a unemployment rate of 3.5% compared to 7.4% in Battle Creek. Elkhart has a government sector of 48.5% compared to 43.0% in Battle Creek.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Battle Creek leads
Source: FBI UCRElkhart has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.02 compared to 0.08 in Battle Creek. Battle Creek has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.56 compared to 0.73 in Elkhart. Battle Creek has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 5.10 compared to 5.92 in Elkhart.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Battle Creek leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauBattle Creek has a bachelor's degree or higher of 14.7% compared to 11.2% in Elkhart. Battle Creek has a high school diploma or higher of 37.9% compared to 35.9% in Elkhart.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSElkhart has a population of 53,726, about 1x the size of Battle Creek (52,392). Elkhart skews younger with a median age of 35.2 vs 37.6.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Battle Creek
Elkhart
Healthcare — Battle Creek leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareBattle Creek: 3.7 vs Elkhart: 2.7 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Battle Creek leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSBattle Creek has a work from home of 7.2% compared to 2.6% in Elkhart. Battle Creek has a bicycle of 0.5% compared to 0.3% in Elkhart. Battle Creek has a public transit of 1.2% compared to 0.8% in Elkhart.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Battle Creek, MI
Compare Battle Creek against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.