LaGrange and Elkhart Counties are home to the third largest Amish settlement in the country, with Amish populations totaling over 26,000 people. LaGrange County’s Amish account for nearly 44% of the county’s total population, numbering over 15,000 community members. For those interested in more information regarding Amish culture, we recommend visiting Menno-Hof.

The Amish generally avoid some common practices in society, such as political voting and military service. Additionally, in an effort to no be subservient to connections to the outside world, the Amish generally are not connected to the electrical grid.

Approximately 3-5% of Amish earn their living in agriculture, while the majority work in the available factory jobs or have businesses of their own. Amish owned businesses have a failure rate of only around 5%, whereas non-Amish businesses fail at a rate of closer to 50% across the United States.

One common misconception is that Amish do not pay taxes – in fact, they pay the same as everyone else with the exception of Social Security, as many opt out and therefore do not receive any Social Security or Medicare benefits. While the Amish generally speak English, most also speak a version of German called “Pennsylvania Dutch,” which has origins in Southern Germany.