15 years ago, Elkhart, Indiana had one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.

Due to tough times in the RV industry, the city was in dire straits as city leaders looked for ways to solidify their tax base. Through hard work and creative thinking, Elkhart has been able to stop the bleeding from the economic downturn experiences in 2009.

“We know quality of place and quality of life brings a sense of relationship to our community and it has been established with our population growth,” said Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson to Inside Indiana Business.

The growth has been small. US Census Bureau data shows that Elkhart’s population has grown just 1-percent between 2000 and 2023. But, Roberson is optimistic that Elkhart will soon bustle even more thanks to investments he and the city have made in quality of place.

He said he has followed the trends of other cities throughout the state in attracting more people to live there.

“Before you looked for the big companies to invest in your city and bring lots of jobs to shore up your tax base,” he said. “Nowadays companies really follow the places that have good quality of place, quality of life.”

The city has poured many public dollars into renovating the old ELCO Theater in the city’s downtown area to attract shows and concertgoers. They’ve also invested in a new 6,000-seat outdoor amphitheater.

This was also bolstered by the surprising boom in the RV industry, which has a heavy presence in Elkhart, during COVID which saw demand for RVs go up due to people being sent home from work or school because of the pandemic.

Roberson said even though the growth is small at the moment, he is taking an ‘If you build it, they will come’ approach to planning for the future of Elkhart.