City profile · Kansas · Census ACS 2023

The Highlands, KS

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

474
Residents
$83,229
Median income
$263,500
Median home
$957
Median rent (state)

The Highlands - the verdict

The Highlands ranks in the 65th percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.

65th
percentile, household income
58th
percentile, home value
11th
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: The Highlands, KS

474 people live in The Highlands, Kansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The Highlands households earn a median of $83,229 annually, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 0.0%. Home values in The Highlands run a median of $263,500, and the median resident age is 56.4 years. Educational attainment runs 35.3% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: the state registers 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $957 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $217 across Kansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 80.2 out of 100 (High).

Population

474 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kansas

Median Household Income

$83,229 /yr

Poverty 0.0%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average

How does The Highlands compare to other US cities?

Here's how The Highlands stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 65% higher than other cities
Home value 58% pricier than other cities
Median rent 11% 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 The Highlands against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Kansas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Kansas-relative analysis

Poverty Rate places The Highlands near the bottom of Kansas's cities

Among the 552 Kansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, The Highlands ranks #486 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares The Highlands only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#65 of 527
88th percentile in Kansas
Median Gross Rent
#191 of 552
64th percentile in Kansas
Median Home Value
#25 of 527
95th percentile in Kansas
Poverty Rate
#486 of 552
0th percentile in Kansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#66 of 552
88th percentile in Kansas

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 Kansas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

65thIncome percentile

65th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How The Highlands's home value compares nationally

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

$263,500 42nd percentile more affordable than 42% of 15,600 US cities

$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%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $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. The Highlands $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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - The Highlands, KS The Highlands, KS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not The Highlands, KS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution The Highlands, KS median $83,229/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%
The Highlands, KS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for The Highlands, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 0.0%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 54.7%

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

Population
474
Median Income
$83,229
Median Home Value
$263,500
Median Age
56.4
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.3%

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
346 residents348 residents350 residents352 residents354 residents 202020212022202320242025 349 residents 352 residents ▲ +0.9%
The Highlands's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
91.2%
Carpool
2.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
5.5%
Other
1.2%

Based on 238 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Kansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$217
estimated/month

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

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Kansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county The Highlands sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$957/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
80.2 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kansas

Kismet
476 people
Lewis
477 people
Linn
478 people
Axtell
466 people
Norwich
483 people
Alta Vista
484 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to The Highlands's 474 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Nectar, AL
474 people
Turkey Creek, AZ
474 people
Lake City, CO
474 people
Bonfield, IL
474 people
Laurel, IN
474 people
Robards, KY
474 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to The Highlands's $83,229 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Bechtelsville, PA
$83,229 median income
Colony Park, PA
$83,229 median income
El Rio, CA
$83,233 median income
Berkeley, IL
$83,224 median income
Bryant, AR
$83,219 median income
Imperial, CA
$83,214 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - The Highlands, KS 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 The Highlands, KS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 98.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.5% White 98.3% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.6% Two or more races 1.1% 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.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How The Highlands compares to nearby Kansas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
The Highlands (this city) 474 $83,229
Kismet 476 $63,077
Lewis 477 $38,563
Linn 478 $65,556
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about The Highlands, KS?

What is the population of The Highlands, KS? +

474 people live in The Highlands, KS according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in The Highlands, KS? +

The Highlands households earn a median of $83,229 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in The Highlands? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for The Highlands; the closest available measure is the Kansas state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kansas vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in The Highlands, KS? +

The median home value in The Highlands is $263,500, 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.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

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

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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.