Highlands County, Florida
Located in Florida, Highlands County has a population of 105,702 residents and a median age of 54.4 years, making it the #593 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.3%. The median home value is $187,900, and the median household income is $54,897, which is 27% below the national median.
Demographics
Highlands County has a population of 105,702, making it the #593 most populous county in the US. The median age is 54.4 years, which is 39.8% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Highlands County is $54,897, ranking #2,482 out of 3,222 counties — 26.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.3% and unemployment stands at 6.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Highlands County is $187,900 (-33.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,035/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Highlands County, 20.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.3% below the national average, ranking #1,921 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Highlands County is 75.0 years. 21.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 19.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.6% of adults in Highlands County smoke , 36.2% are obese , and 19.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 36.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Highlands County is 6.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 28.2 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
27.4% of children in Highlands County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Highlands County is 64.4%. The mean commute time is 25.6 min, which is 7.1% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Highlands County voted Republican with a margin of 40.8%. The vote was 29.3% Dem / 70.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County, Florida has a total population of 105,702, making it the 593rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Highlands County is 54.4 years, which is 39.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Highlands County is $54,897, which ranks #2,482 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.4%.
The median home value in Highlands County is $187,900, 33.3% below the national median. Renters in Highlands County pay a median gross rent of $1,035 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Highlands County, 20.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.6 min.
Highlands County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 63.1% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (22.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (9.3%).
All data for Highlands County, Florida 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.