Town · New York
Town of Highlands, New York
Highlands (town), town, in Orange County, New York. Highlands (town) had 12,678 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 12,939 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 12,823 (±53). GEOID 3607134550.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,678
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 12,939 · ACS 2020-2024: 12,823 ±53
Median household income
$116,111
±$10,551 (90% margin)
New York: $85,974
Median home value
$337,700
±$31,737 (90% margin)
New York: $423,800
Median gross rent
$2,640
±$193 (90% margin)
New York: $1,621
Where is Highlands (town) and what county is it in?
Highlands (town) is a town in Orange County, New York. It covers 30.4 square miles of land, 425 residents per square mile in 2020.
3 places lie inside the Town of Highlands: West Point (CDP, 7,341 in 2020), Highland Falls (village, 3,684 in 2020) and Fort Montgomery (CDP, 1,627 in 2020).
Highlands (town) is in the Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 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 Highlands (town), and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,678 people lived in Highlands (town) on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, a steeper fall than New York's (−1.0%). The 2020 Census counted 12,939 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 12,823 (±53).
| Measure | Highlands (town) | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,823±53 | 406,616 | +658 |
| Households | 3,992±254 | 138,608 | +775 |
| Average household size | 2.65±0.16 | 2.84 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 4,290±258 | 149,699 | +585 |
Highlands (town)'s population since 2000
From 12,484 in 2000 to 12,678 in 2025: up 1.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Highlands (town) as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
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 Highlands (town)?
The median resident of Highlands (town) is 31.1 years old; 23.1% are under 18 and 8.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 60.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 21.6%. 10.1% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Highlands (town) | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.1±2.9 | 37.0 | +7.6 |
| Under 18 years | 23.1%±2.5 pts | 25.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 8.2%±2.0 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Male | 56.2%±2.7 pts | 49.9% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 21.6%±5.1 pts | 23.9% | +9.7 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 60.4%±5.0 pts | 57.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 8.2%±2.5 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.6%±1.5 pts | 2.8% | −2.7 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.2%±1.4 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.1%±0.8 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 10.1%±2.9 pts | 13.7% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 16.6%±3.3 pts | 30.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 19.3%±3.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 9.2%±2.6 pts | 11.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8%±1.1 pts | 4.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.1%±2.3 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 48.3%±4.8 pts | 32.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 29.6%±4.1 pts | 13.9% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 82.0%±4.0 pts | 91.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 10.8%±3.0 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Highlands (town) earn?
Half of Highlands (town)'s 3,992 households earn less than $116,111 a year (±$10,551), against $97,178 in Orange County and $85,974 in New York. In 2015-2019 it was $120,635 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 4.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Highlands (town) | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,111±$10,551 | $97,178 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $125,518±$8,140 | $124,053 | – |
| Per capita income | $40,851±$3,136 | $43,052 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.5%±2.2 pts | 12.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.4%±3.7 pts | 18.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 8.7%±3.4 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.0%±1.8 pts | 92.0% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 95.0%±2.5 pts | 89.3% | – |
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 Highlands (town)?
Owners occupy 43.1% of Highlands (town)'s occupied homes and renters 56.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $337,700 by its owner (±$31,737). The median renter pays $2,640 a month including utilities, and 44.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Highlands (town) | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $337,700±$31,737 | $387,900 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $2,640±$193 | $1,680 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 44.7%±7.6 pts | 48.0% | +14.2 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,632±$186 | $2,664 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 43.1%±5.2 pts | 67.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 56.9%±5.2 pts | 32.2% | – |
| Housing units | 4,290±258 | 149,699 | +585 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±2.4 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.5%±2.8 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 49.6%±4.6 pts | 61.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.4%±2.6 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±1.0 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.3%±1.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 35.3%±5.1 pts | 20.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.7%±2.4 pts | 9.4% | – |
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 many new homes is Highlands (town) building?
Builders took permits for 1 new housing units in Highlands (town) in 2025 (1 in single-family houses), 0.1 per 1,000 residents against 1.9 across New York.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Highlands (town) work and get to work?
59.0% of Highlands (town)'s workers drive alone and 17.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 18.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 4.2%.
| Measure | Highlands (town) | Orange County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.9%±4.5 pts | 63.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2%±2.0 pts | 5.5% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 59.0%±4.5 pts | 66.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 5.5%±2.7 pts | 9.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Walked | 14.8%±3.6 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.7%±3.4 pts | 12.8% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.7 min±2.5 | 34.1 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 Highlands (town)?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Highlands (town), and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $103,438 (Tract 137) to $135,333 (Tract 136).
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 Highlands (town)) · Census block assignment files
How does Highlands (town) compare with other places in New York?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Highlands (town) is the 987th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 121st-most populous of 924 in New York.
Highlands (town) ranks 365th of 1,623 places in New York with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 121st | 924 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 824th | 1,225 |
| Residents per square mile | 896th | 1,657 |
| Median household income | 365th | 1,623 |
| Per capita income | 925th | 1,653 |
| Median home value | 554th | 1,637 |
| Median gross rent | 83rd | 1,515 |
| Poverty rate | 1,184th | 1,331 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 383rd | 1,640 |
| Median age | 1,572nd | 1,654 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,586th | 1,639 |
| Work from home | 311th | 1,350 |
| Travel time to work | 1,473rd | 1,652 |
Highlands (town)'s figures with every place in New York (CSV)
Every place in New York, sortable · Compare Highlands (town) 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 Highlands (town)?
7 of the 57 figures for Highlands (town) 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 Highlands (town) 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.