City profile · Alabama · Census ACS 2023

Highland Lakes, AL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Highland Lakes — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

5,673
Residents
$169,833
Median income
$562,600
Median home
$936
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Highland Lakes, AL

Highland Lakes is a city in Alabama with a population of 5,673 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $169,833 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 3.7%. Typical homes in Highland Lakes are valued around $562,600, and the median resident age is 45.5 years. About 72.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 64.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Alabama registers 88.8 (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $936 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $245 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 61.5 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

5,673 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Alabama

Median Household Income

$169,833 /yr

Poverty 3.7%

Cost of Living Index

88.8 (US=100)

Below Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Highland Lakes compare to other US cities?

Where Highland Lakes sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 96% higher than other cities
Home value 87% pricier than other cities
Median rent 1% pricier than other cities

Percentiles compare Highland Lakes against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Highland Lakes, AL Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Highland Lakes, AL. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Highland Lakes, AL — median $169,833/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Highland Lakes, AL — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 72.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.7%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 64.8%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,673
Median Income
$169,833
Median Home Value
$562,600
Median Age
45.5
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Labor force participation
64.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
72.4%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
74.6%
Carpool
3.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
21.2%
Other
0.6%

Based on 2,952 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Alabama — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$138
avg/month
Natural Gas
$62
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$245
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Alabama state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Alabama state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
88.8
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$936/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
61.5 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Highland Lakes, AL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Highland Lakes, AL — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Highland Lakes compares to nearby Alabama cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Highland Lakes) plus the nearest peer cities in Alabama, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

AL

Highland Lakes

169.83% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$169,833
Brackets
6
Selected

AL

Holtville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$570
Brackets
6
Selected

AL

Rainsville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$560
Brackets
6
Selected

AL

Margaret

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$550
Brackets
6
Census ACS 5-year FIPS AL OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Highland Lakes, AL?

What is the population of Highland Lakes, AL? +

Highland Lakes, AL has a population of 5,673 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Highland Lakes, AL? +

The median household income in Highland Lakes is $169,833 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Highland Lakes? +

Highland Lakes has a cost of living index of 88.8 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

What is the median home value in Highland Lakes, AL? +

The median home value in Highland Lakes is $562,600, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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