Elkhart-Goshen GDP Growth Among Nation’s Highest

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 01:42 PM EDT Updated: Wednesday, September 27, 2017 03:10 PM EDT

Recently-released figures show the Elkhart-Goshen metropolitan area is one of the fastest-growing in terms of Gross Domestic Product in the country. The Bureau of Economic Analysis says the Elkhart-Goshen metro area notched a $15.5 billion annual GDP in 2016, compared to a 2015 figure of $14.4 billion. In an interview with Inside INdiana Business Television last month, Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Kyle Hannon said the surging recreational vehicle industry is fueling economic growth.

The BEA says GDP grew in 40 of the Great Lakes Region’s 55 MSAs last year. Out of the 15 MSAs that include Indiana communities, all but three — Evansville, Terre Haute and Columbus — show increases year-over-year.

The highest Real GDP growth by metropolitan area in the country was 8.1 percent in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Bend-Redmond, Oregon. The percent of GDP change in the Odessa, Texas MSA had the largest reported decrease of 13.3 percent.

Metro areas that are located in all or part of Indiana include:

(National MSA Rank)  |  MSA Name  |  2016 GDP Figures  |  2015 GDP Figures

  • 3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (and parts of northwest Indiana) – $651.2 billion | $635 billion
  • 26. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson – $135.4 billion | $130.1 billion
  • 28. Cincinnati (and parts of southeast Indiana and northern Kentucky) – $132 billion | $126.6 billion
  • 46. Louisville (and parts of southeast Indiana) – $75 billion | $71.8 billion
  • 115. Fort Wayne – $20.9 billion | $20.4 billion
  • 143. Evansville – $16.9 billion | $17.1 billion
  • 154. Elkhart-Goshen – $15.5 billion | $14.4 billion
  • 163. South Bend-Mishawaka – $14.1 billion | $13.5 billion
  • 201. Lafayette-West Lafayette – $10 billion | $9.7 billion
  • 250. Bloomington – $6.9 billion | $6.7 billion
  • 262. Terre Haute – $6.2 billion | $6.3 billion
  • 287. Columbus – $5.7 billion | $5.8 billion
  • 329. Kokomo – $4.7 billion | $4.69 billion
  • 357. Michigan City-LaPorte – $3.83 billion | $3.82 billion
  • 360. Muncie – $3.765 billion | $3.763 billion

You can connect to the full regional and MSA GDP numbers by clicking here.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of the story mistakenly used "millions" instead of "billions."

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