Housing data for Highland Lakes, NJ
Highland Lakes, NJ has an estimated 3,852 residents and 2,097 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Sussex County.
6.9% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,169 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−24.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 3,852 (±498)
- Housing units
- 2,097 (±174)
- Households that rent
- 6.9%
- Median gross rent
- $2,169
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −24.4%
What stands out in Highland Lakes
Households that rent: 6.9% (±5.4 points) in Highland Lakes, lower than in Sussex County (16.3%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 1.9% (±3.6 points) in Highland Lakes, lower than in Sussex County (8.4%).
Working from home: 23.3% (±7.9 points) in Highland Lakes, higher than in Sussex County (14.9%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 29.6% (±8.8 points) in Highland Lakes, higher than in Sussex County (19.5%).
- Types of homes in Highland Lakes
- Commute and cars in Highland Lakes
- How long people stay in Highland Lakes
Housing in Highland Lakes at a glance
- Median rent: $2,169 median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 62.4% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 6.9% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $109,000 median household income
- Home values: $295,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,007 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $7,144 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 1.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 54.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 76.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 50.2% heat with fuel oil or kerosene
- Commute and cars: 44.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −24.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Highland Lakes against Sussex County, its state and the nation
| Highland Lakes | Sussex County | New Jersey | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,852 (±498) | 145,807 (exact) | 9,343,809 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,097 (±174) | 62,865 (±76) | 3,791,354 (±469) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 6.9% (±5.4 points) | 16.3% (±1.0 points) | 36.2% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,169 (±$960) | $1,585 (±$67) | $1,720 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $109,000 (±$28,478) | $116,186 (±$2,466) | $103,556 (±$513) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $295,300 (±$23,274) | $369,400 (±$4,606) | $454,400 (±$1,150) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $7,144 (±$494) | $8,568 (±$102) | $9,590 (±$25) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 76.9% (±16.1 points) | 63.2% (±2.1 points) | 62.8% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 44.0 minutes (±5.6) | 36.3 minutes (±0.8) | 30.5 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.5% (±5.9 points) | 94.5% (±0.7 points) | 92.8% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 53.4 years (±4.6) | 43.8 years (±0.2) | 40.1 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Highland Lakes covers 4.3 square miles of land, about 891 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Highland Lakes has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5,098 (±587) | 3,852 (±498) | −24.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,449 (±199) | 2,097 (±174) | −14.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,500 (±$401) | $2,169 (±$960) | +44.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $227,300 (±$17,502) | $295,300 (±$23,274) | +29.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $101,171 (±$13,219) | $109,000 (±$28,478) | +7.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,885 (±$190) | $2,007 (±$258) | +6.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $6,194 (±$291) | $7,144 (±$494) | +15.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 8.1% (±4.7 points) | 6.9% (±5.4 points) | −1.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±20.4 points) | 0.0% (±30.3 points) | 0.0 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 Sussex County
Highland Lakes has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Sussex County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Sussex County recorded 55 violent and 302 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 Lakes
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07422 | 19% | 5,280 | $2,425 | $295,000 | $108,722 |
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 Lakes
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Center | 2.5 mi | $1,494 | $173,500 | 28.1% |
| Upper Greenwood Lake | 4.5 mi | $2,010 | $376,700 | 13.8% |
| Vernon Valley | 5.1 mi | — | $373,500 | 0.0% |
| West Milford Township | 5.9 mi | $1,737 | $399,700 | 11.3% |
| Hardyston Township | 5.9 mi | $2,097 | $360,400 | 20.3% |
| Hamburg Borough | 5.9 mi | $1,685 | $280,900 | 29.5% |
| Hewitt | 7.2 mi | $2,293 | $466,600 | 5.9% |
| Franklin Borough | 7.8 mi | $1,381 | $272,600 | 43.8% |
Places in New Jersey most like Highland Lakes
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landing | $1,799 | $417,400 | $128,068 | 14.6% |
| Tabernacle Township | $2,014 | $396,600 | $120,735 | 3.5% |
| Bass River Township | $1,821 | $325,600 | $75,833 | 14.0% |
| Long Valley | $1,655 | $461,900 | $133,229 | 7.9% |
| Stanhope Borough | $1,964 | $376,700 | $139,205 | 13.9% |
| Oxford Township | $1,635 | $263,200 | $102,600 | 8.9% |
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 New Jersey.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Highland Lakes, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,637 | $1,850 | $2,233 | $2,785 | $3,188 |
HUD income limits for Highland Lakes, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $29,050 | $48,450 | $74,800 |
| 2 people | $33,200 | $55,400 | $85,450 |
| 3 people | $37,350 | $62,300 | $96,150 |
| 4 people | $41,500 | $69,200 | $106,800 |
| 5 people | $44,850 | $74,750 | $115,350 |
| 6 people | $48,150 | $80,300 | $123,900 |
| 7 people | $51,500 | $85,850 | $132,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $91,350 | $141,000 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $138,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Highland Lakes is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
It lies inside Vernon Township, whose figures include it.
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 Lakes
What is the average rent in Highland Lakes, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Highland Lakes is $2,169 (±$960) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
What is the median household income in Highland Lakes?
The median household income in Highland Lakes is $109,000 (±$28,478) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Highland Lakes, NJ?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $295,300 (±$23,274) for owner-occupied homes in Highland Lakes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Highland Lakes?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Highland Lakes, NJ is $2,007 (±$258) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Highland Lakes?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Highland Lakes, NJ is $7,144 (±$494) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Highland Lakes?
Highland Lakes, NJ has an estimated 2,097 (±174) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Highland Lakes growing?
In Highland Lakes, the number of residents went from 5,098 in 2015–2019 to 3,852 in 2020–2024 (−24.4%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Highland Lakes?
The ZIP code that covers Highland Lakes is 07422.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 07422?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07422 is $2,425 (±$2,293) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highland Lakes CDP, New Jersey
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Newark, NJ HUD Metro FMR Area
- 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 Lakes CDP, New Jersey (place:31410, in state:34).
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 .