Highlands County, Florida
Among the top 4% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade B, better than 65% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 67% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 84% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 60% of US counties
- top 1% for park & nature access
- top 2% for comfortable days
- bottom 5% for summer humidity
Highlands County is a county in Florida with about 102,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and B for lifestyle & connectivity. Standout strengths include park & nature access, comfortable days, and violent crime. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and summer humidity.
Official websitehcbcc.net (opens in new tab)
Climate
Hot, humid summers · Mild winters · Wet
comf.
warm
hot
warm
78%69%clearovercast
Precipitation 8.3 in2.1 in
oppressive 99%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$54k30th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 76% of US counties
Home Value$156k48th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$919better than 32% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$1kbetter than 59% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.75%better than 59% of US counties
Income Tax0.00%better than 91% of US counties
Sales Tax7.00%better than 61% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden4.48%better than 96% of US counties
Unemployment6.8%better than 18% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)62°F97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)82°F83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation53.0 in81st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 96% of US counties
Sunny Days262 daysbetter than 79% of US counties
Summer Humidity73°Fbetter than 5% of US counties
Comfortable Days135 daysbetter than 98% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk89.4better than 10% of US counties
Air Quality35 AQIbetter than 83% of US counties
School Quality40.6better than 16% of US counties
Violent Crime0/100kbetter than 97% of US counties
Property Crime0/100kbetter than 97% of US counties
Community
Population102,33981st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age54.198th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.4268th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9623rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningR+3545th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)64.6%29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)9.0%75th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)21.5%86th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)1.4%77th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)3.5%53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time22 minbetter than 68% of US counties
Walkability6.5/20better than 65% of US counties
Airport Distance64 mibetter than 71% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access82.5%better than 45% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.29better than 27% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 99% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Highlands County an affordable place to live?
- Highlands County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 76% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Highlands County?
- The median home value in Highlands County is $156k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Highlands County?
- Median household income in Highlands County is $54k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Highlands County?
- Median gross rent in Highlands County is $919 a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Highlands County safe?
- Highlands County is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 0/100k (better than 97%). Property crime is 0/100k.
- What is the weather like in Highlands County?
- Highlands County averages 82°F in July and 62°F in January, with 53.0 in of annual precipitation and about 262 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Highlands County?
- Public-school quality in Highlands County is below average, scoring better than 16% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Highlands County?
- The average one-way commute in Highlands County is 22 min.
Other counties in Florida
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)