Highlands County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Highlands County, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 77% of counties in Florida
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Florida
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 105,700 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 95.6 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 52.8 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 46,878 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Highlands County grew by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 105,700 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Highlands County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 31.1% of residents. That is 11.4 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,999 15.1% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,987 15.1% -5.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,621 16.7% -4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 32,822 31.1% +11.4 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.1% of the people living in Highlands County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Florida 51.0%
- Men 48.9% Florida 49.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Highlands County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Highlands County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,582 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.67% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Highlands County is about 25% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $103,434 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,034 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.6% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Highlands County is about 8.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,034 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Highlands County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.8 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.7 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,611 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.6% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,277 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 999 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in Highlands County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Highlands County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.4% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
Highlands County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Highlands County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.4 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 23.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
Highlands County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
Highlands County, FL is the 2nd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 105,700 residents against a local median of 38,101. The measure that sets Highlands County, FL apart most is median home price: $103,434, 49% below the local median of $204,082.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.8 min against a local median of 22.4 min, 20% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 20% below the local median it puts Highlands County, FL at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $191,867 on median home price, so Highlands County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Highlands County, FL has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | $55,582 #4/5 | $103,434 #4/5 | 17.8 min #1/5 |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 40,816 | $57,564 | $187,847 | 18.7 min |
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | $61,052 | $38,262 | 21.9 min |
| DeSoto County, FL | 35,386 | $53,666 | $220,318 | 23.0 min |
| Polk County, FL | 790,685 | $66,901 | $230,129 | 26.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Highlands County, Florida.
How big is Highlands County, Florida by population?
About 105,700 people live in Highlands County, Florida, in 46,878 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 52.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 15 years.
Is Highlands County, Florida urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Highlands County, Florida has 96 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Highlands County, Florida?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($103,434 against $55,582), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,034 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Highlands County, Florida have a college degree?
17.4% of adults in Highlands County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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