County · Ohio

Highland County, Ohio

Highland County, Ohio. Highland County had 43,823 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.2% since 2020, in line with Ohio (+0.9%). It holds 28 places (8 cities, villages and boroughs, 17 towns and townships and 3 census-designated) and 11 census tracts. GEOID 39071.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

43,823

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 43,317 · ACS 2020-2024: 43,517

Median household income

$65,785

±$1,628 (90% margin)
Ohio: $71,389

Median home value

$168,900

±$7,418 (90% margin)
Ohio: $214,800

Median gross rent

$780

±$21 (90% margin)
Ohio: $1,034

How many people live in Highland County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 43,317 residents in Highland County. The Census Bureau estimates 43,823 for July 1, 2025, up 1.2% since 2020, in line with Ohio (+0.9%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 43,517 over 553 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +77 (43,440)
2021→2022 −88 (43,352)
2022→2023 +180 (43,532)
2023→2024 +172 (43,704)
2024→2025 +119 (43,823)

Highland County in Ohio. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Highland County	Ohio	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	43,517	11,810,293	+501
Households	16,938±311	4,863,191	no clear change
Average household size	2.54±0.05	2.37	no clear change
Housing units	19,036±54	5,292,391	−315

Highland County's population since 2000

From 40,875 in 2000 to 43,823 in 2025: up 7.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 40,875
2005 (estimate) 42,967
2010 Census 43,589
2015 (estimate) 42,973
2020 Census 43,317
2025 (estimate) 43,823

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Highland County?

Highland County holds 28 places: 8 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 17 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 3 census-designated places. The largest is Liberty Township, Highland County with 10,515 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Highland County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Liberty Township, Highland County	township	10,201	10,276±33	$62,647	$161,800	16.2%	100%
Hillsboro	city	6,481	6,527±23	$55,521	$149,200	21.7%	100%
Madison Township, Highland County	township	6,422	6,466±18	$59,286	$149,300	16.1%	100%
Paint Township, Highland County	township	4,850	4,856±32	$53,325	$127,300	17.3%	100%
Greenfield	village	4,339	3,966±508	$46,875	$113,700	20.0%	100%
Fairfield Township, Highland County	township	3,661	3,648±21	$72,972	$185,000	7.0%	100%
Dodson Township	township	2,598	2,581±25	$70,441	$145,500	8.9%	100%
Union Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907178344	township	1,969	1,879±376	$67,481	$178,600	1.5%	100%
New Market Township	township	1,874	2,364±593	$70,217	$271,100	18.1%	100%
Penn Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907161588	township	1,542	1,574±563	$127,438	$263,900	0.2%	100%
Lynchburg	village	1,510	1,493±348	$70,956	$150,600	12.1%	100%
Clay Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907115476	township	1,499	1,743±384	$71,310	$174,200	11.7%	100%
Brushcreek Township	township	1,418	1,279±365	$65,670	$157,700	12.6%	100%
Concord Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907118168	township	1,361	1,104±304	$45,066	$140,900	20.9%	100%
Whiteoak Township	township	1,305	1,408±388	$77,500	$123,600	13.2%	100%
Leesburg	village	1,273	1,098±273	$77,102	$150,900	10.0%	100%
Washington Township, Highland County	township	1,096	1,556±470	not published	$287,900	31.1%	100%
Jackson Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907137828	township	1,053	1,072±312	$64,398	$309,000	9.0%	100%
Marshall TownshipGEOID 3907148034	township	1,007	944±331	$67,321	$207,800	24.0%	100%
Salem Township, Highland CountyGEOID 3907169862	township	782	334±123	$49,306	$205,600	15.3%	100%
Rocky Fork PointGEOID 3968004	CDP	742	818±322	$36,250	$140,600	32.8%	100%
Hamer TownshipGEOID 3907132970	township	679	433±191	$54,200	$161,500	2.5%	100%
Highland HolidayGEOID 3935256	CDP	571	976±402	$61,950	$67,100	11.3%	100%
Mowrystown	village	385	510±239	$72,813	$93,000	34.1%	100%
BufordGEOID 3910156	CDP	306	455±293	$86,414	$159,500	0.0%	100%
HighlandGEOID 3935210	village	232	113±62	$40,000	$97,200	21.2%	100%
Sinking SpringGEOID 3972578	village	118	319±195	$108,090	$151,600	11.0%	100%
Sardinia	village	1,083	1,138±369	$58,438	$99,600	25.9%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Highland County?

The median resident of Highland County is 41.0 years old; 23.9% are under 18 and 19.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 94.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.9%. 0.5% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Highland County	Ohio	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	41.0±0.6	39.7	no clear change
Under 18 years	23.9%±0.2 pts	22.0%	–
65 years and over	19.1%±0.2 pts	18.3%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1.2%	4.8%	+0.1 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	94.4%±0.3 pts	75.8%	−0.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.2%±0.5 pts	12.0%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.2 pts	2.5%	–
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	2.9%±0.6 pts	4.3%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	0.5%±0.3 pts	5.2%	−0.5 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	2.5%±1.0 pts	8.0%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.1%±0.9 pts	6.6%	–
With a disability	18.2%±1.6 pts	14.4%	–
No health insurance coverage	7.6%±1.3 pts	6.4%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	87.6%±1.6 pts	91.8%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	16.3%±1.6 pts	31.5%	+2.9 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	5.6%±1.2 pts	12.2%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	0.7%±0.5 pts	1.6%	–

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 Highland County earn?

Half of Highland County's 16,938 households earn less than $65,785 a year (±$1,628), against $71,389 in Ohio. In 2015-2019 the median was $54,359 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $11,426 after inflation. 14.1% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Highland County	Ohio	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$65,785±$1,628	$71,389	+$11,426
Mean household income	$78,210±$3,983	$96,990	–
Per capita income	$30,843±$1,354	$40,552	no clear change
People below the poverty line	14.1%±2.0 pts	13.3%	−5.3 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	16.8%±3.9 pts	17.8%	−10.9 pts
Households receiving SNAP	15.1%±1.9 pts	12.5%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	83.4%±2.1 pts	90.1%	–

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 Highland County?

Owners occupy 74.3% of Highland County's occupied homes and renters 25.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $168,900 by its owner (±$7,418). The median renter pays $780 a month including utilities, and 32.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Highland County	Ohio	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$168,900±$7,418	$214,800	+$24,417
Median gross rent	$780±$21	$1,034	−$58
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	32.5%±6.3 pts	37.3%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,247±$51	$1,517	–
Owner-occupied homes	74.3%±2.5 pts	67.2%	+5.9 pts
Housing units	19,036±54	5,292,391	−315
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.1%±1.0 pts	0.8%	–
Rental vacancy rate	2.7%±2.3 pts	4.4%	–
Single-family detached homes	73.7%±2.6 pts	68.8%	–
Mobile homes	13.5%±1.9 pts	3.4%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.6%±0.3 pts	1.1%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	19.8%±2.4 pts	19.0%	–

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 Highland County building?

Builders took permits for 15 new housing units across Highland County in 2025 (10 single-family), 0.3 per 1,000 residents.

2019 6 units
2020 4 units
2021 71 units
2022 13 units
2023 11 units
2024 121 units
2025 15 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Highland County get to work?

80.2% of Highland County's workers drive alone and 6.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.1%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Highland County	Ohio	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	60.4%±1.8 pts	63.1%	–
Unemployment rate	3.1%±1.0 pts	4.8%	−3.6 pts
Drove alone to work	80.2%±2.2 pts	75.1%	–
Carpooled	10.8%±1.6 pts	7.5%	–
Public transportation	0.1%±0.1 pts	1.0%	–
Walked	1.2%±0.6 pts	2.0%	–
Worked from home	6.5%±1.4 pts	13.0%	+2.6 pts
Mean travel time to work	29.1 min±1.5	23.4 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 are Highland County's census tracts?

Highland County is divided into 11 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $40,441 (Tract 9549) to $79,849 (Tract 9546).

Census tracts of Highland County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 954439071954400	Greenfield (48%)	3,981	4,157±521	$70,962	$153,800	$816	10.2%
Tract 954539071954500	Greenfield (50%)	3,932	3,873±399	$57,557	$148,200	$701	17.7%
Tract 954639071954600	Leesburg (20%)	5,816	5,258±638	$79,849	$222,200	$928	5.5%
Tract 954739071954700	Lynchburg (16%)	6,222	6,087±555	$66,796	$156,000	$820	6.1%
Tract 954839071954800	Hillsboro (81%)	4,261	4,267±340	$65,000	$166,400	$775	21.7%
Tract 954939071954900	Hillsboro (72%)	3,648	3,878±340	$40,441	$152,100	$767	17.6%
Tract 9550.0139071955001	–	1,706	1,566±238	$46,750	$149,700	$800	24.1%
Tract 9550.0239071955002	Rocky Fork Point (32%)	2,620	2,734±368	$48,384	$92,600	$834	19.3%
Tract 9551.0139071955101	Hillsboro (1%)	3,230	3,988±533	$60,404	$228,400	$735	23.2%
Tract 9551.0239071955102	Sinking Spring (6%)	2,970	2,693±336	$67,009	$211,300	$626	9.0%
Tract 955239071955200	Mowrystown (7%)	4,931	5,016±477	$70,060	$198,300	$838	14.1%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Highland County compare with Ohio's other counties?

Highland County's rank among Ohio's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	56th of 88
Growth 2020-2025	25th of 88
Residents per square mile	67th of 88
Median household income	49th of 88
Median home value	53rd of 88
Median gross rent	76th of 88
Poverty rate	34th of 88
Bachelor's degree or higher	69th of 88
Median age	52nd of 88

Every county in Ohio

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Highland County 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.