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COUNTY

Highlands County

Florida · 111,122 residents (2025 est.) · 1,017.66 sq mi
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#76Oldest by median ageof 3,14454.4
The short version

Highlands County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $54,897. Population has grown 21% since 2000. 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $187,900. With a median age of 54.4, the population is older than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 26% less than the Florida median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 54.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 66%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
105,702
+21%since 2000
from 87,366 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
104 / sq mi
+8%since 2009
from 96 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
54.4
+9%since 2000
from 50.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:111,122 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
65K76K87K98K109K1990201020202024Highlands County
2024106K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.1%(4,298)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(4,641)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.2%(5,452)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.6%(4,876)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244%(4,254)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 349.1%(9,602)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 449.8%(10,351)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.6%(10,189)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.2%(13,988)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7417.2%(18,160)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 8414.3%(15,134)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over4.5%(4,757)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,897
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,160 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,993
+92%since 2000
from $17,222 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
34.1%
+20.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
15.3%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 15.2% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.457
+11%since 2010
from 0.413 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade10.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5%
US avg: 6.7%
Retail trade4.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction4.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Finance & insurance4%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$187,900
+66%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $62,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,035
+19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $479 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
78.6%
−1.1 ptssince 2000
from 79.7% in 2000
21.4% rent
Vacancy rate
20.0%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
18.4%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
49.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
−4%since 2009
from 3.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
47
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Highlands County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.5%(66,814)
Black9.1%(7,925)
Hispanic / Latino12.1%(10,542)
Asian1%(881)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic63.1%(66,703)
Black9.3%(9,819)
Hispanic / Latino22.2%(23,465)
Asian1.5%(1,598)
Other3.9%(4,117)
Diversity Score
68
+22%since 2009
from 55 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
31
−10%since 2020
from 35 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican9%(9,487)
Puerto Rican6.9%(7,289)
Cuban3%(3,156)
Central American1.3%(1,355)
Colombian0.4%(444)
Dominican0.4%(438)
Salvadoran0.3%(369)
Nicaraguan0.3%(354)
Spaniard0.3%(295)
Venezuelan0.2%(238)
Costa Rican0.2%(171)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Guatemalan0.2%(169)
Honduran0.2%(161)
Panamanian0.1%(131)
Ecuadorian0.1%(120)
Argentine0.1%(104)
Peruvian0.1%(95)
Uruguayan0.1%(54)
Bolivian0%(20)
Asian origin
Filipino0.6%(639)
Asian Indian0.3%(307)
Vietnamese0.2%(256)
Chinese0.1%(111)
Thai0.1%(92)
Hmong0.1%(85)
Taiwanese0%(23)
Japanese0%(19)
Pakistani0%(13)
Kazakh0%(13)
Korean0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(36)
Chamorro0%(17)
Ancestry
German14.1%(14,931)
English12.9%(13,661)
Irish9.3%(9,798)
American8.9%(9,381)
Italian4.6%(4,892)
Scottish2.1%(2,271)
West Indian2.1%(2,251)
French1.9%(2,024)
Polish1.7%(1,757)
Dutch1.1%(1,210)
Jamaican1.1%(1,190)
Swedish1.1%(1,153)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.7%(788)
Haitian0.7%(777)
Norwegian0.7%(736)
Russian0.6%(594)
Welsh0.5%(525)
Hungarian0.4%(457)
Greek0.4%(446)
Canadian0.4%(394)
British0.4%(370)
Arab0.3%(266)
Danish0.2%(252)
Portuguese0.2%(209)
Austrian0.2%(206)
Finnish0.2%(178)
Czech0.2%(167)
Swiss0.1%(144)
Lebanese0.1%(123)
Brazilian0.1%(123)
Nigerian0.1%(118)
Belgian0.1%(102)
Slovak0.1%(99)
Egyptian0.1%(65)
Lithuanian0.1%(65)
Ukrainian0.1%(64)
Croatian0.1%(58)
Syrian0%(41)
Latvian0%(37)
Moroccan0%(29)
Romanian0%(24)
Slovene0%(20)
Turkish0%(14)
Serbian0%(8)
Israeli0%(7)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Mexican population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
20.5%
+6.9 ptssince 2000
from 13.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.6%
+12.1 ptssince 2000
from 74.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
7.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 5.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.8 min
+59%since 2000
from 15.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.2%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 76.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
12.2%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.6%
+5.1 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.4%
−7.0 ptssince 2011
from 13.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
43.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2011
from 45.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
15.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
33.3%
−22.4 ptssince 2009
from 55.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 49.4% in 2009
Female
51.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.6% in 2009
Foreign born
10.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
11.1%
−37.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
22.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 20.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
13.8%
−67.7 ptssince 2013
from 81.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
86.7%
+19.1 ptssince 2017
from 67.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
78.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2016
from 81.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
17.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2016
from 15.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married25.6%(11,415)
Married57.2%(25,450)
Widowed4.9%(2,187)
Divorced12.3%(5,465)
Women 15+
Never married19.4%(9,072)
Married52.1%(24,401)
Widowed13.7%(6,405)
Divorced14.8%(6,916)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Highlands County to nearby counties

HIGHLANDS COUNTY VS
Okeechobee County
Income$57,984+6%
Home value$193,000+3%
Population42,608−62%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HIGHLANDS COUNTY VS
Glades County
Income$45,870−16%
Home value$137,000−27%
Population13,270−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HIGHLANDS COUNTY VS
DeSoto County
Income$54,417−1%
Home value$174,100−7%
Population37,078−67%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HIGHLANDS COUNTY VS
Hardee County
Income$60,489+10%
Home value$153,600−18%
Population25,932−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Highlands County, Florida?

Highlands County, Florida has about 105,702 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Highlands County, Florida?

The typical household in Highlands County, Florida earns about $54,897 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Highlands County, Florida expensive?

In Highlands County, Florida, the median home is worth about $187,900, and the typical rent is about $1,035 a month.

How educated are people in Highlands County, Florida?

About 20.5% of adults age 25 and over in Highlands County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Highlands County, Florida?

About 15.3% of people in Highlands County, Florida live below the federal poverty line.

Has Highlands County, Florida grown since 1990?

Yes, Highlands County, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 37,270 residents, a change of about 54 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

35 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 9613.01Census Tract 9606.02Census Tract 9605.03Census Tract 9615Census Tract 9616.05Census Tract 9610Census Tract 9602Census Tract 9603Census Tract 9607Census Tract 9604.01Census Tract 9611Census Tract 9604.02Census Tract 9601.04Census Tract 9614.01Census Tract 9613.04Census Tract 9608Census Tract 9617.01Census Tract 9606.01Census Tract 9612.02Census Tract 9605.04
8 ZIP codes
ZIP 33825ZIP 33870ZIP 33852ZIP 33872ZIP 33875ZIP 33876ZIP 33857ZIP 33960
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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