Housing data for Highlands, NC
Highlands, NC has an estimated 1,074 residents and 2,454 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in Macon County.
32.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $650 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,074 (±236)
- Housing units
- 2,454 (±242)
- Households that rent
- 32.8%
- Median gross rent
- $650
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −7.7%
What stands out in Highlands
Median home value: $700,900 (±$106,442) in Highlands, higher than in Macon County ($251,900).
Median real estate taxes: $2,714 (±$560) in Highlands, higher than in Macon County ($1,074).
Working from home: 23.7% (±11.6 points) in Highlands, higher than in Macon County (9.4%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 8.2% (±3.7 points) in Highlands, higher than in Macon County (3.4%).
Housing in Highlands at a glance
- Median rent: $650 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent by bedrooms: $520 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 28.2% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 32.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $71,509 median household income
- Home values: $700,900 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,939 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,714 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 8.2% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 59.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 47.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 5.8% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 52.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 14.6 minutes average trip to work (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crime reported to police: 88 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −7.7% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 25.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Highlands against Macon County, its state and the nation
| Highlands | Macon County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,074 (±236) | 37,941 (exact) | 10,730,404 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,454 (±242) | 27,216 (±42) | 4,895,668 (±642) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 32.8% (±13.4 points) | 22.4% (±3.4 points) | 33.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $650 (±$533) | $803 (±$56) | $1,228 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $71,509 (±$8,961) | $59,061 (±$6,098) | $72,388 (±$324) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $700,900 (±$106,442) | $251,900 (±$16,620) | $288,900 (±$1,086) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,714 (±$560) | $1,074 (±$54) | $1,896 (±$8) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 47.4% (±7.0 points) | 36.2% (±2.9 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 14.6 minutes (±8.3) | 22.6 minutes (±1.7) | 25.1 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.8% (±4.2 points) | 83.3% (±2.4 points) | 90.1% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 62.7 years (±5.2) | 49.7 years (±0.5) | 39.1 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Highlands covers 6.2 square miles of land, about 172 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Highlands has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,164 (±189) | 1,074 (±236) | −7.7% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 2,223 (±162) | 2,454 (±242) | +10.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $946 (±$166) | $650 (±$533) | −31.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $538,600 (±$89,715) | $700,900 (±$106,442) | +30.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $54,226 (±$11,050) | $71,509 (±$8,961) | +31.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,258 (±$324) | $1,939 (±$520) | −14.1% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,412 (±$312) | $2,714 (±$560) | +12.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 38.5% (±8.3 points) | 32.8% (±13.4 points) | −5.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.7% (±5.4 points) | 5.8% (±8.1 points) | +1.1 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 Highlands
In 2025, the Highlands Police Department reported 88 violent and 1,857 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Places near Highlands
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Valley | 9.1 mi | $1,377 | $376,600 | 40.6% |
| Dillard | 12 mi | $950 | $208,800 | 18.4% |
| Franklin | 14 mi | $725 | $195,000 | 41.8% |
| Mountain City | 14 mi | $1,102 | $153,400 | 41.7% |
| Forest Hills | 17 mi | $1,208 | — | 43.6% |
| Clayton | 17 mi | $814 | $249,600 | 36.5% |
| Salem | 17 mi | $500 | $167,500 | 19.4% |
| Cullowhee | 18 mi | $869 | $382,300 | 89.1% |
Places in North Carolina most like Highlands
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner Elk | $849 | $458,100 | $86,382 | 31.1% |
| Webster | $733 | $375,000 | $61,528 | 32.7% |
| Balfour | $591 | $292,600 | $70,116 | 22.0% |
| Brevard | $979 | $450,000 | $54,103 | 49.1% |
| Lake Junaluska | $1,137 | $389,200 | $66,165 | 25.1% |
| Beaufort | $835 | $354,900 | $53,321 | 46.6% |
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 North Carolina.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Highlands, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $707 | $851 | $1,015 | $1,236 | $1,335 |
HUD income limits for Highlands, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $16,650 | $27,700 | $44,350 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $31,650 | $50,650 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $35,600 | $57,000 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $39,550 | $63,300 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $42,750 | $68,400 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $45,900 | $73,450 |
| 7 people | $49,050 | $49,050 | $78,500 |
| 8 people | $52,250 | $52,250 | $83,600 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Macon County, NC, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $79,100.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Highlands
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Highlands beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Highlands, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Highlands, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Highlands
How many renters are there in Highlands?
Highlands has an estimated 211 (±124) renting households, 32.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Highlands?
The median household income in Highlands is $71,509 (±$8,961) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Highlands, NC?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $700,900 (±$106,442) for owner-occupied homes in Highlands (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Highlands?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Highlands, NC is $1,939 (±$520) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Highlands?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Highlands, NC is $2,714 (±$560) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Highlands?
Highlands, NC has an estimated 2,454 (±242) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Highlands growing?
In Highlands, the number of residents went from 1,164 in 2015–2019 to 1,074 in 2020–2024 (−7.7%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Highlands town, North Carolina
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Macon County, NC
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Macon County, NC
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Highlands Police Department (ORI NC0570200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- 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 Highlands town, North Carolina (place:31360, in state:37).
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 .