Housing data for Highland City, FL
Highland City, FL has an estimated 13,276 residents and 4,980 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Polk County.
20.7% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,993 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+25.2%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 13,276 (±1,590)
- Housing units
- 4,980 (±391)
- Households that rent
- 20.7%
- Median gross rent
- $1,993
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +25.2%
What stands out in Highland City
Median gross rent: $1,993 (±$338) in Highland City, higher than in Polk County ($1,363).
Median household income: $90,947 (±$8,125) in Highland City, higher than in Polk County ($65,978).
Homes built before 1980: 14.2% (±3.9 points) in Highland City, lower than in Polk County (30.0%).
Median home value: $347,100 (±$16,070) in Highland City, higher than in Polk County ($266,500).
- Median rent in Highland City
- Income and affordability in Highland City
- Age of homes in Highland City
- Home values in Highland City
Housing in Highland City at a glance
- Median rent: $1,993 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 54.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 20.7% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $90,947 median household income
- Home values: $347,100 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,891 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,485 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 6.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 83.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 14.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.2% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 98.6% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 29.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +25.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Highland City against Polk County, its state and the nation
| Highland City | Polk County | Florida | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,276 (±1,590) | 790,694 (exact) | 22,416,077 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,980 (±391) | 340,748 (±196) | 10,256,470 (±942) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 20.7% (±4.4 points) | 29.5% (±0.7 points) | 32.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,993 (±$338) | $1,363 (±$28) | $1,669 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $90,947 (±$8,125) | $65,978 (±$1,143) | $74,568 (±$284) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $347,100 (±$16,070) | $266,500 (±$3,458) | $359,000 (±$930) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,485 (±$205) | $1,933 (±$35) | $2,730 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 14.2% (±3.9 points) | 30.0% (±0.7 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 29.0 minutes (±3.4) | 30.5 minutes (±0.5) | 28.0 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.8% (±2.1 points) | 90.7% (±0.5 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 39.2 years (±2.5) | 39.5 years (±0.2) | 42.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Highland City covers 7.9 square miles of land, about 1,684 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Highland City has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,602 (±858) | 13,276 (±1,590) | +25.2% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 4,097 (±234) | 4,980 (±391) | +21.6% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,098 (±$208) | $1,993 (±$338) | +81.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $167,300 (±$7,443) | $347,100 (±$16,070) | +107.5% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $68,563 (±$10,971) | $90,947 (±$8,125) | +32.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,297 (±$69) | $1,891 (±$115) | +45.8% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,331 (±$72) | $2,485 (±$205) | +86.7% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 20.9% (±4.8 points) | 20.7% (±4.4 points) | −0.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.1% (±8.4 points) | 3.2% (±5.5 points) | −5.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Polk County
Highland City has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Polk County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Polk County recorded 217 violent and 777 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Highland City
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33812 | 59% | 16,169 | $1,834 | $373,700 | $103,052 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Highland City
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Highlands | 4.4 mi | $1,704 | $385,000 | 16.0% |
| Crystal Lake | 5.2 mi | $1,181 | $205,600 | 53.8% |
| Medulla | 6.3 mi | $1,287 | $319,800 | 33.8% |
| Jan Phyl Village | 6.3 mi | $1,210 | $258,600 | 33.2% |
| Bartow | 6.3 mi | $1,142 | $234,100 | 34.1% |
| Fussels Corner | 6.6 mi | $937 | $92,100 | 23.5% |
| Combee Settlement | 6.9 mi | $1,130 | $195,900 | 50.1% |
| Eagle Lake | 7.6 mi | $1,688 | $256,300 | 24.1% |
Places in Florida most like Highland City
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Port | $1,894 | $362,500 | $84,049 | 19.1% |
| Land O' Lakes | $2,045 | $377,400 | $98,568 | 17.1% |
| Apopka | $1,969 | $394,900 | $96,884 | 22.3% |
| Oriole Beach | $2,023 | $326,000 | $88,154 | 22.9% |
| Cape Coral | $1,858 | $373,500 | $78,104 | 22.8% |
| Port St. Lucie | $1,937 | $369,200 | $80,648 | 16.0% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Florida.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Highland City, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,258 | $1,338 | $1,608 | $2,212 | $2,688 |
HUD income limits for Highland City, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,350 | $30,600 | $48,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $34,950 | $55,900 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $39,300 | $62,900 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,650 | $69,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $47,150 | $75,450 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,650 | $81,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $54,150 | $86,650 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,650 | $92,250 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $83,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Highland City is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Highland City
What is the average rent in Highland City, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Highland City is $1,993 (±$338) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
Are renters in Highland City rent-burdened?
54.0% of renting households in Highland City pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Highland City?
Highland City has an estimated 955 (±202) renting households, 20.7% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Highland City?
The median household income in Highland City is $90,947 (±$8,125) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Highland City, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $347,100 (±$16,070) for owner-occupied homes in Highland City (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Highland City?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Highland City, FL is $1,891 (±$115) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Highland City growing?
In Highland City, the number of residents went from 10,602 in 2015–2019 to 13,276 in 2020–2024 (+25.2%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Highland City?
The ZIP code that covers Highland City is 33812.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 33812?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 33812 is $1,834 (±$452) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland City CDP, Florida
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Highland City CDP, Florida (place:30225, in state:12).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .