Highland County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39071 Republican

Located in Ohio, Highland County has a population of 43,517 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #1,138 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.1%. The median home value is $168,900, and the median household income is $65,785, which is 12% below the national median.

43,517
Population
#1,138 of 3,222
$65,785
Median Income
-12.5% #1,566 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,808 of 3,222
14.1%
Poverty Rate
+11.9% #1,779 of 3,222

Demographics

Highland County has a population of 43,517, making it the #1,138 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.5%
Native Born
0.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Highland County is $65,785, ranking #1,566 out of 3,222 counties — 12.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.1% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.

Income#1,566
$65,785
-12.5%
vs nation
51th percentile
Per Capita#2,288
$30,843
-25.2%
vs nation
29th percentile
Poverty#1,779
14.1%
+11.9%
vs nation
45th percentile
Unemployment#724
3.1%
-41.6%
vs nation
78th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Highland County is $168,900 (-40.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $780/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.3%.

Home Value#1,830
$168,900
-40.1%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#2,269
$780
-32.9%
vs nation
29th percentile
Homeownership#1,651
74.3%
+15.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Highland County, 16.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.8% below the national average, ranking #2,622 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.3% −51.8% vs nation
Rank #2,622 of 3,222
19th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Highland County is 73.1 years. 22.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,218
73.1
-2.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,413
22.9%
+17.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Diabetes#2,291
12.4%
+11.4%
vs nation
27th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,902
42.8%
+14.7%
vs nation
8th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#3,065
6.9
+21.9%
vs nation
3th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,401
4.9
+10.6%
vs nation
24th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,372
8.6%
-17.7%
vs nation
56th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,662
31.7%
+20.2%
vs nation
15th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,311
16.5%
+14.5%
vs nation
27th percentile

Substance Use

24.6% of adults in Highland County smoke , 43.1% are obese , and 19.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 42.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,990
24.6%
+37.0%
vs nation
5th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,825
43.1%
+13.7%
vs nation
10th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,468
19.7%
-0.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,661
42.3
+30.8%
vs nation
21th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Highland County is 9.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,107
9.3
+15.7%
vs nation
28th percentile
Suicide Rate#677
14.7
-25.6%
vs nation
74th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#838
13.9
-22.4%
vs nation
66th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,037
15.6
-23.2%
vs nation
63th percentile

Families & Children

18.0% of children in Highland County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 9.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 24.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,205
9.3
+37.4%
vs nation
12th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,885
24.3
+11.4%
vs nation
37th percentile
Child Poverty#1,603
18.0%
-5.2%
vs nation
49th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Highland County is 60.3%. The mean commute time is 32.2 min, which is 16.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
32.2 min +16.8% vs nation
Rank #559 of 3,222
83th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Highland County voted Republican with a margin of 63.3%. The vote was 18.1% Dem / 81.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +63.3%
18.1% 81.4%
Dem 19,984 votes Rep
2020 REP +60.4%
19.3% 79.7%
Dem 19,676 votes Rep
2016 REP +56.1%
20.2% 76.3%
Dem 17,048 votes Rep
2012 REP +30.7%
33.6% 64.3%
Dem 17,161 votes Rep
2008 REP +26.4%
35.7% 62.1%
Dem 19,186 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Highland County, Ohio

Highland County, Ohio has a total population of 43,517, making it the 1,138th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Highland County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Highland County is $65,785, which ranks #1,566 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.

The median home value in Highland County is $168,900, 40.1% below the national median. Renters in Highland County pay a median gross rent of $780 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Highland County, 16.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.2 min.

Highland County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.2%).

All data for Highland County, Ohio comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.