Highland County, Virginia

VA · FIPS 51091 Republican

Located in Virginia, Highland County has a population of 2,296 residents and a median age of 56.5 years, making it the #3,096 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.5%. The median home value is $200,000, and the median household income is $65,625, which is 13% below the national median.

2,296
Population
#3,096 of 3,222
$65,625
Median Income
-12.7% #1,579 of 3,222
56.5 years
Median Age
+45.2% #39 of 3,222
9.5%
Poverty Rate
-24.3% #690 of 3,222

Demographics

Highland County has a population of 2,296, making it the #3,096 most populous county in the US. The median age is 56.5 years, which is 45.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.6%
Native Born
1.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Highland County is $65,625, ranking #1,579 out of 3,222 counties — 12.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.5% and unemployment stands at 11.9%.

Income#1,579
$65,625
-12.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Per Capita#1,683
$34,453
-16.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poverty#690
9.5%
-24.3%
vs nation
79th percentile
Unemployment#3,153
11.9%
+125.4%
vs nation
2th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Highland County is $200,000 (-29.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $856/mo and the homeownership rate is 88.9%.

Home Value#1,404
$200,000
-29.1%
vs nation
56th percentile
Rent#1,704
$856
-26.4%
vs nation
47th percentile
Homeownership#19
88.9%
+38.1%
vs nation
99th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Highland County, 30.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 8.5% below the national average, ranking #713 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.8% −8.5% vs nation
Rank #713 of 3,222
78th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Highland County is 78.9 years. 14.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#423
78.9
+5.0%
vs nation
86th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#519
14.9%
-23.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Diabetes#857
9.5%
-14.7%
vs nation
73th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#651
33.7%
-9.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,055
5.9
+3.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,307
4.3
-4.0%
vs nation
58th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,321
8.4%
-19.6%
vs nation
58th percentile
Physical Inactivity#357
20.4%
-22.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,076
12.7%
-11.8%
vs nation
66th percentile

Substance Use

13.8% of adults in Highland County smoke , 33.8% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#419
13.8%
-23.2%
vs nation
87th percentile
Adult Obesity#547
33.8%
-10.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,198
21.5%
+8.0%
vs nation
30th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

21.0% of children in Highland County live in poverty .

Child Poverty#2,055
21.0%
+10.6%
vs nation
35th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Highland County is 80.9%. The mean commute time is 30.4 min, which is 10.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
80.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.4 min +10.0% vs nation
Rank #819 of 3,222
75th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Highland County voted Republican with a margin of 44.4%. The vote was 27.2% Dem / 71.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +44.4%
27.2% 71.6%
Dem 1,529 votes Rep
2020 REP +44.0%
27.2% 71.2%
Dem 1,533 votes Rep
2016 REP +42.2%
26.7% 68.9%
Dem 1,391 votes Rep
2012 REP +33.0%
32.5% 65.5%
Dem 1,411 votes Rep
2008 REP +21.8%
38% 59.8%
Dem 1,554 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Highland County, Virginia

Highland County, Virginia has a total population of 2,296, making it the 3,096th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Highland County is 56.5 years, which is 45.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Highland County is $65,625, which ranks #1,579 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 11.9%.

The median home value in Highland County is $200,000, 29.1% below the national median. Renters in Highland County pay a median gross rent of $856 per month. The homeownership rate is 88.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Highland County, 30.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 8.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.4 min.

Highland County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 94.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.7%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (2.4%).

All data for Highland County, Virginia 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.