Census-designated place · Alabama
Highland Lakes, Alabama
Highland Lakes, census-designated place, in Shelby County, Alabama. Highland Lakes had 5,866 people in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±872). GEOID 0134490.
Residents, 2020-2024
5,866
±872 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 5,239
Median household income
$169,361
±$37,963 (90% margin)
Alabama: $63,999
Median home value
$599,200
±$31,331 (90% margin)
Alabama: $209,900
Median gross rent
$1,201
±$611 (90% margin)
Alabama: $1,007
Where is Highland Lakes and what county is it in?
Highland Lakes is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Shelby County, Alabama. It covers 3.8 square miles of land, 1,396 residents per square mile in 2020.
Highland Lakes is in the Birmingham, AL metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 7 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Highland Lakes, and is it growing?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Highland Lakes's population at 5,866 (±872). The 2020 Census counted 5,239 residents.
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Highland Lakes is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,866 ±872 | 230,211 | no clear change |
| Households | 2,191 ±266 | 86,866 | +323 |
| Average household size | 2.68 ±0.20 | 2.61 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 2,356 ±264 | 91,995 | +435 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Highland Lakes?
The median resident of Highland Lakes is 47.2 years old; 18.9% are under 18 and 19.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 82.5%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 11.6%. 3.9% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.2 ±4.4 | 40.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.9% ±4.5 pts | 22.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.8% ±5.5 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Male | 53.0% ±4.0 pts | 48.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.4% ±1.2 pts | 7.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 82.5% ±5.0 pts | 73.2% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 11.6% ±3.9 pts | 13.4% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.1 pts | 2.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.2% ±2.7 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.9% ±2.1 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.4% ±2.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 5.4% ±2.3 pts | 6.3% | – |
| With a disability | 13.8% ±5.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.3% ±1.3 pts | 6.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.1% ±6.4 pts | 94.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 73.5% ±7.3 pts | 46.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 22.0% ±4.6 pts | 16.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.1% ±2.2 pts | 89.3% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.9% ±0.9 pts | 1.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Highland Lakes earn?
Half of Highland Lakes's 2,191 households earn less than $169,361 a year (±$37,963), against $97,961 in Shelby County and $63,999 in Alabama. In 2015-2019 it was $188,018 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $169,361 ±$37,963 | $97,961 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $231,007 ±$53,707 | $128,135 | – |
| Per capita income | $86,426 ±$21,238 | $49,440 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.1% ±3.3 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±3.5 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.9% ±3.2 pts | 97.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.7% ±3.9 pts | 94.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Highland Lakes?
Owners occupy 96.6% of Highland Lakes's occupied homes and renters 3.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $599,200 by its owner (±$31,331). The median renter pays $1,201 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $599,200 ±$31,331 | $326,100 | +$54,003 |
| Median gross rent | $1,201 ±$611 | $1,401 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 0.0% ±38.2 pts | 38.4% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,811 ±$138 | $1,734 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 96.6% ±3.2 pts | 81.4% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 3.4% ±3.2 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Housing units | 2,356 ±264 | 91,995 | +435 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±38.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 98.8% ±1.9 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.3% ±2.5 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 19.3% ±6.2 pts | 14.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 0.0% ±1.7 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.9% ±3.5 pts | 2.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Highland Lakes work and get to work?
70.0% of Highland Lakes's workers drive alone and 22.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 30.3 minutes.
| Measure | Highland Lakes | Shelby County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.0% ±6.5 pts | 66.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.7% ±1.6 pts | 2.9% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.0% ±9.4 pts | 74.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 6.0% ±5.5 pts | 6.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±1.2 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 22.9% ±6.7 pts | 16.9% | +12.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 30.3 min ±4.3 | 29.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Highland Lakes?
1 census tract lies mostly in Highland Lakes (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 302.16Shelby County | 8,429 | $141,682 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Highland Lakes) · Census block assignment files
How does Highland Lakes compare with other places in Alabama?
Highland Lakes ranks 3rd of 305 places in Alabama with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2020-2024) | 106th | 311 |
| Residents per square mile | 22nd | 311 |
| Median household income | 3rd | 305 |
| Per capita income | 4th | 311 |
| Median home value | 4th | 304 |
| Median gross rent | 53rd | 274 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3rd | 295 |
| Median age | 38th | 309 |
| Owner-occupied share | 5th | 310 |
| Work from home | 5th | 138 |
| Travel time to work | 70th | 310 |
Highland Lakes's figures with every place in Alabama (CSV)
Every place in Alabama, sortable · Compare Highland Lakes with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Highland Lakes?
24 of the 57 figures for Highland Lakes on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Highland Lakes are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.