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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-HIGHLAND-CA · Highland, CA 56,690 pop · income 59th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Highland
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Highland on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
National City · lowest
64,248
National City · lowest
64,248 median HH income
48.8% of the leader · rank #1
Wakefield · near
77,976
Wakefield · near
77,976 median HH income
59.3% of the leader · rank #2
Pawnee · near
77,977
Pawnee · near
77,977 median HH income
59.3% of the leader · rank #3
Highland · this city
77,979
Highland · this city
77,979 median HH income
59.3% of the leader · rank #4
Lake Crystal · near
77,979
Lake Crystal · near
77,979 median HH income
59.3% of the leader · rank #5
Travis Ranch · near
77,979
Travis Ranch · near
77,979 median HH income
59.3% of the leader · rank #6
Gilroy · highest
131,554
Gilroy · highest
131,554 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Highland on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 56,690.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Highland - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Highland places in the 59th percentile for household income and the 36th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
59th
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
36th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Highland, CA
Highland is a small city in California, home to 56,690 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Highland report a median income of $77,979 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.7%. Highland's housing stock carries a median value of $455,200, and the median resident age is 33.3 years. 22.8% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 155 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 150% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 1857.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,053 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Highland's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to reported crime to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to population change to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Highland, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Highland?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.8 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Highland?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1857.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 19% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Highland?
Within California, the closest population matches are Fountain Valley (56,358 residents, $111,797 income); National City (55,960 residents, $64,248 income); Arcadia (55,550 residents, $116,142 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Albany, OR (56,773 residents); Kannapolis, NC (56,470 residents); Fountainebleau, FL (56,453 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
What does the journey to work look like in Highland?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 80.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Highland growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +660 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 155 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+1.2%
2025 estimate
57,614
2020 estimate
56,954
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
The NCES join finds 15 public schools within the city match. 22.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
15
Bachelor's degree+
22.8%
Poverty estimate
12.7%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Above median income · poverty 12.7% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
F
City profile score · Highland, CA
30/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income C
$77,979
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share D
22.8%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
535 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Highland profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 57/100 (C) · $77,979
Bachelor's+ share: 42/100 (D) · 22.8%
Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.7%
Violent crime: 14/100 (F) · 535 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Highland sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Highland's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Highland highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Highland, CA (this city): home $455,200, crime 1,858/100k
Albany, OR : home $352,900, crime 2,027/100k
Kannapolis, NC : home $245,500, crime 1,953/100k
Bartlett, TN : home $283,700, crime 1,534/100k
Bentonville, AR : home $370,700, crime 1,083/100k
Lacey, WA : home $427,900, crime 2,655/100k
Fountain Valley, CA : home $1,018,600, crime 1,963/100k
National City, CA : home $580,900, crime 2,635/100k
Arcadia, CA : home $1,336,500, crime 3,051/100k
Gilroy, CA : home $975,800, crime 2,625/100k
How does Highland compare to other US cities?
Highland measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income59% higher than other cities
Home value82% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety36% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: Highland ranks #209 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Highland against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Highland near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Highland ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Highland only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#811 of 1,338
39th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#769 of 1,343
43rd percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#374 of 1,450
74th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#807 of 1,458
45th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
59th percentile nationally for median household income · 36th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Highland's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Highland's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Highland's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$455,20018th percentilemore affordable than 18% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Highland's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.8×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,960 of 15,516
More affordable than 10% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#559 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.8×, Highland sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,960 of 15,516 and #559 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$77,979Highland, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Highland, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Highland, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)22.8%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.9%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
56,690
Median Income
$77,979
Median Home Value
$455,200
Median Age
33.3
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Labor force participation
57.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1857.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
534.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1322.9
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Highland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
56,954 residents
2021
56,845 residents
2022
56,590 residents
2023
56,545 residents
2024
57,023 residents
2025
57,614 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
155
housing units authorized
Single-Family
155
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
62
62
0
$16.9M
2020
48
48
0
$13.0M
2021
31
31
0
$7.6M
2022
296
100
196
$52.8M
2023
51
51
0
$18.7M
2024
155
155
0
$53.2M
Permit volume increased 150% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
80.1%
Carpool
9.9%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
7.2%
Other
1.1%
Based on 24,367 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Highland. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Highland is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Highland sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Highland compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, 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.