Population 3,594 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Highlands
Household size in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.92 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.95 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.92 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.80 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.11 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Highlands are small: just 1.80 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 1.92, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 56.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 56.3 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 60.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 63.2 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.8 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Highlands skews older: half of its residents are older than 63.2, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.0% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.0% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.6% of households in Highlands, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Highlands
Renters in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.4% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.2% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.7% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.4% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Highlands own their homes; 26.4% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 55.6% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 60.6% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 62.3% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 62.7% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 58.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Highlands: 58.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +6 |
Homes in Highlands are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. That is in line with the rest of North Carolina.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $698 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $957 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $850 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $788 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$90 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Highlands costs $788 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 19.1% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Highlands
Bachelor's degrees in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.0% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.6% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 49.8% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Highlands: 49.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.0% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.3% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Highlands have finished high school (91.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Highlands
| Period | Highlands | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.0% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.4% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Highlands has been low: just 1.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Highlands compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands | 1.80 | 63.2 | 4.6% | 26.4% | 58.4% | 1986 | $788 | 49.8% | 91.1% | 1.4% |
| Satolah | 2.18 | 31.4 | 4.5% | 32.9% | 51.1% | 1994 | $949 | 6.7% | 80.6% | 0.0% |
| Scaly Mountain | 2.16 | 53.8 | 8.6% | 27.2% | 44.4% | 1989 | $857 | 39.1% | 91.7% | 0.0% |
| Sugarfork | 1.76 | 57.0 | 4.7% | 19.1% | 51.3% | 1985 | $845 | 38.4% | 94.6% | 2.2% |
| Cashiers | 1.91 | 60.4 | 6.1% | 16.7% | 73.8% | 1996 | $1,254 | 55.7% | 95.1% | 2.4% |
| Sky Valley | 2.02 | 49.3 | 8.4% | 30.6% | 52.4% | 1989 | $1,215 | 45.9% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Glenville | 2.40 | 51.0 | 9.6% | 23.3% | 62.4% | 1989 | $1,227 | 39.4% | 93.1% | 4.2% |
| Ellijay | 1.75 | 48.9 | 4.5% | 20.0% | 47.1% | 1982 | $851 | 30.3% | 98.2% | 3.8% |
| Dillard | 2.06 | 48.8 | 10.6% | 25.0% | 44.0% | 1983 | $1,020 | 35.6% | 92.4% | 2.8% |
| Otto | 2.48 | 46.4 | 7.3% | 8.5% | 30.7% | 1988 | $696 | 37.9% | 93.2% | 0.5% |
| Sapphire | 2.07 | 59.1 | 7.0% | 16.7% | 67.4% | 1998 | $1,232 | 57.5% | 93.8% | 0.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woodstock, AL · French Lick, IN · Fort Hall, ID · Edgewood, TX · Daleville, IN · Cresson, TX · Cologne, MN · Collins, NY · Cave City, AR · Cabool, MO
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Highlands. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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