Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Highlands, NC compare?
| Figure | Highlands, NC |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 1,127 |
| Change since April 2020 | +5.6% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 1,072 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 172 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | – |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 9.8 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 10.9% |
| Measure | Highlands, NC |
|---|---|
| Total population | 1,074±236 |
| Median age | 62.7±5.2 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.9%±5.8 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.8%±8.9 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 5.2%±6.7 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.5%±2.4 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 6.8%±4.4 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.8%±7.7 pts |
| Median household income | $71,509±$8,961 |
| Per capita income | $63,661±$9,602 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.9%±5.8 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3%±5.4 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $700,900±$106,442 |
| Median gross rent | $650±$533 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 28.2%±24.4 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 67.2%±13.4 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.2%±0.3 pts |
| Worked from home | 23.7%±11.6 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 43.6%±15.9 pts |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±9.1 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 14.6 min±8.3 |
| No health insurance coverage | 12.4%±8.3 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov