City profile · Illinois · Census ACS 2023

Highwood, IL

Highwood's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

5,243
Residents
$101,862
Median income
$454,500
Median home
$1,063
Median rent (state)
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Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.

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Starting with Highwood, IL - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Highwood.

Place dossier plate

Sheet IL-HIGHWOOD-IL · Highwood, IL 5,243 pop · income 79th pct

POP-TOWN · INC-HIGH · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-HIGH · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-TOWN 5,243
  • INC-HIGH $101,862
  • COL-PAR 100.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-UPPER 79th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Farmington Hills
  • HOME-HIGH $454,500
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Farmington Hills, MI (+ $1 income $)

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 Highwood

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Highwood on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Highwood on ACS population and median household income . 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: 5,243.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $101,862. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Highwood - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Highwood lands in the 79th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

79th
percentile, household income
82nd
percentile, home value
18th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Highwood, IL

Highwood is a small town in Illinois, home to 5,243 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $101,862 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.7%. Typical homes in Highwood are valued around $454,500, and the median resident age is 35.9 years. 38.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 67.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 1 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 98% from five years earlier.

Illinois tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 100.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,063 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Illinois's average monthly utility costs around $240 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 out of 100 (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Highwood'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 comparison shortlist to schools and households to housing and income to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Highwood, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, commute-mode shares, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Comparison shortlist

Which cities make useful reference points for Highwood?

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.

Within Illinois, the closest population matches are Berkeley (5,222 residents, $83,224 income); Pana (5,277 residents, $45,083 income); Colona (5,189 residents, $76,558 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Chester, SC (5,241 residents); Gladstone, MI (5,240 residents); Chardon, OH (5,246 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

2. Schools and households

What does the education layer cover for Highwood?

The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.

The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 38.1% 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.

See how the family ranking is built →

3. Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in Highwood?

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.

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 4

Is Highwood growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +235 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

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.

See the national growth ranking →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

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.

Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Highwood?

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 62.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

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.

Drive alone
62.9%
Work from home
13.8%
Public transit
4.6%

City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 2,785 workers age 16+.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

5,243 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$101,862 /yr

High income · poverty 12.7% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

100.0 (US=100)

Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Illinois average

City profile score · Highwood, IL

55/100

4 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 B+
$101,862

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share B
38.1%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Cost of living D
100.0 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Poverty rate F
12.7%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Highwood profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Household income, Bachelor's+ share, Cost of living, Poverty rate. Household incomeBachelor's+ shareCost of livingPoverty rate 55 C
Highwood profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Household income: 78/100 (B+) · $101,862
  • Bachelor's+ share: 72/100 (B) · 38.1%
  • Cost of living: 40/100 (D) · 100.0 index
  • Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.7%

How does Highwood compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 79% higher than other cities
Home value 82% pricier than other cities
Median rent 18% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Highwood against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Illinois only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Illinois-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places Highwood near the bottom of Illinois's cities

Among the 1,336 Illinois cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Highwood ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Highwood only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#206 of 1,311
84th percentile in Illinois
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,336
0th percentile in Illinois
Median Home Value
#52 of 1,315
96th percentile in Illinois
Poverty Rate
#335 of 1,335
75th percentile in Illinois
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#209 of 1,336
84th percentile in Illinois
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 Illinois only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

79thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

79th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Highwood's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$454,500 18th percentile more affordable than 18% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Highwood $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Highwood's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.5×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,901 of 15,516
More affordable than 23% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,129 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 4.5×, Highwood sits in the moderate band: national rank #11,901 of 15,516 and #9,129 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

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

$101,862 Highwood, IL median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Highwood, IL Highwood, IL's median household income ($101,862) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Highwood, IL-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Highwood, IL median $101,862/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern 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%
Highwood, IL median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Highwood, IL.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 38.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.4%

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

Population
5,243
Median Income
$101,862
Median Home Value
$454,500
Median Age
35.9
Poverty Rate
12.7%
Labor force participation
67.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
38.1%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Population Change

PEP vintage

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,000 residents5,100 residents5,200 residents5,300 residents5,400 residents5,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,088 residents 5,323 residents ▲ +4.6%
Highwood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 5,088 residents
2021 5,382 residents
2022 5,352 residents
2023 5,341 residents
2024 5,340 residents
2025 5,323 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
1
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 45
2020 129
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 1

Permit volume decreased 98% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
62.9%
Carpool
17.7%
Public Transit
4.6%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
13.8%

Based on 2,785 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Illinois statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $240

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Illinois at $240 (electricity about $100 , water and sewer about $50 ).

These are Illinois statewide averages, not a meter reading for Highwood. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Illinois's BEA cost-of-living index is 100.0 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Highwood is $1,063/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Illinois statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 54.5 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Illinois statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Highwood sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Highwood compares to similar-size Illinois 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.

City Population Median Household Income
Highwood (this city) 5,243 $101,862
Berkeley 5,222 $83,224
Pana 5,277 $45,083
Colona 5,189 $76,558
NCES CCD Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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