Highland County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Highland County, OH 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 91% of counties in Ohio
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Ohio
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 89% of counties in Ohio
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,517 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 78.0 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.12% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,938 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Highland County grew by 2.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,517 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Highland County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.8% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,813 20.3% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,200 18.8% -2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,071 20.8% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,085 18.6% +0.5 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 Ohio, 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 51.3% of the people living in Highland County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 48.7% Ohio 49.2%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Highland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Highland County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,084 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.13% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Highland County is about 9% lower than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $37,682 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $780 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Highland County is about 4.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $780 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Highland County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.4 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,116 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,147 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 495 | 1,212 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Ohio:
Hancock County (15.3 min), Van Wert County (15.5 min), Mercer County (16.0 min).
Slowest:
Morgan County (32.5 min), Vinton County (32.0 min), Brown County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Highland County is 24 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Ohio.
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
Highland County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.1% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.4), Warren County (0.4), Greene County (0.3).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.1), Vinton County (0.2), Noble County (0.2).
Health
Highland County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Highland County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.2 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.9% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.6% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.8), Union County (0.8), Warren County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Holmes County (0.8), Scioto County (0.8).
Highland County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Highland County, OH is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 43,517 residents against a local median of 28,876. Highland County, OH's median home price, at $37,682, runs 48% below the $72,963 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $586,090 on median home price, so Highland County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Highland County, OH has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland County, OH | 43,517 | $65,084 #3/6 | $37,682 #5/6 | 23.7 min #4/6 |
| Clinton County, OH | 42,019 | $69,410 | $54,795 | 20.7 min |
| Adams County, OH | 27,540 | $50,196 | $72,963 | 28.4 min |
| Brown County, OH | 43,837 | $69,790 | $32,500 | 32.0 min |
| Fayette County, OH | 28,876 | $63,449 | $184,091 | 22.3 min |
| Pike County, OH | 27,044 | $52,937 | $618,589 | 22.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Highland County, Ohio.
What is the population of Highland County, Ohio?
About 43,517 people live in Highland County, Ohio, in 16,938 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Highland County, Ohio urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Highland County, Ohio has 78 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Highland County, Ohio?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($37,682 against $65,084), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $780 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Highland County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Highland County, Ohio is only 3.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Highland County, Ohio?
14.1% of adults in Highland County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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