Demographics of Highlands County, Florida

Highlands County, Florida had 111,122 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau’s estimate: +9,781 since July 2020. Age, income, poverty, housing and origin below come from the American Community Survey, averaged over 2020–2024, each with its margin of error.

Highlands County, in four figures

111,122
Population: July 1, 2025, Vintage 2025 estimate.; +9.7%
Change since July 2020: +9,781 people.; 54.4 ±0.2
Median age: ACS 2020–⁠2024.; $54,897 ±$2,416
Median household income: ACS 2020–⁠2024, in 2024 dollars.

Population, year by year

July 1 estimates from the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025. Each year's change is births less deaths, net moves from abroad and net moves from elsewhere in the country, with the Bureau's small residual. The 2020 row's components run 3 months, from the April census to July 1.

Highlands County, Florida's population grew 9.7% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally

The July 1 estimate of Highlands County, Florida's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).

U.S. Census Bureau — Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change

About this chart

The figures

Highlands County, Florida's population grew 9.7% from July 2020 to July 2025, against +3.1% nationally. The July 1 estimate of Highlands County, Florida's resident population and the nation's, each year of the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025, as a share of its July 2020 level (= 100).
July 1	Population	Index	United States
2020	101,341	100.0	100.0
2021	103,315	101.9	100.2
2022	105,981	104.6	100.7
2023	108,155	106.7	101.6
2024	109,892	108.4	102.5
2025	111,122	109.7	103.1

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Population of Highlands County, Florida on July 1 of each year, Vintage 2025
July 1	Population	Change	Births less deaths	From abroad	From elsewhere in the country
2020	101,341	+107	−261	+6	+407
2021	103,315	+1,974	−1,239	+65	+3,357
2022	105,981	+2,666	−1,173	+458	+3,201
2023	108,155	+2,174	−994	+503	+2,585
2024	109,892	+1,737	−862	+566	+2,000
2025	111,122	+1,230	−820	+334	+1,727

Age, 2020–2024

The median age is 54.4 ±0.2: for men 52.8 ±0.6 and for women 55.6 ±0.3. Shares are of everyone the survey counts, in the Bureau’s sex-by-age table (B01001).

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People in Highlands County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	People	Share	Florida	United States
Under 5	4,298 ±246	4.1% ±0.2	5.0% ±<0.1	5.6% ±<0.1
5 to 17	13,333 ±631	12.6% ±0.6	14.5% ±0.1	16.3% ±<0.1
18 to 24	5,890 ±428	5.6% ±0.4	8.1% ±<0.1	9.1% ±<0.1
25 to 44	19,953 ±776	18.9% ±0.7	25.3% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
45 to 64	24,177 ±867	22.9% ±0.8	25.7% ±0.1	24.8% ±<0.1
65 and over	38,051 ±1,291	36.0% ±1.2	21.3% ±0.1	17.2% ±<0.1

Income and poverty, 2020–2024

Median household income is $54,897 ±$2,416, and income per person $32,993 ±$1,098, in 2024 dollars. The median is $74,568 ±$284 in Florida and $80,734 ±$166 in the United States.

Households by income

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Households in Highlands County by income, ACS 2020–2024
Household income	Households	Share	Florida	United States
Under $25,000	10,504 ±879	22.4% ±1.8	15.0% ±0.1	14.6% ±<0.1
$25,000 to $49,999	10,721 ±767	22.9% ±1.6	18.4% ±0.1	16.7% ±<0.1
$50,000 to $74,999	9,688 ±772	20.7% ±1.6	16.8% ±0.1	15.5% ±<0.1
$75,000 to $99,999	5,956 ±611	12.7% ±1.3	13.1% ±0.1	12.6% ±<0.1
$100,000 to $149,999	5,732 ±576	12.2% ±1.2	17.2% ±0.1	17.5% ±<0.1
$150,000 to $199,999	2,126 ±380	4.5% ±0.8	8.4% ±0.1	9.6% ±<0.1
$200,000 or more	2,152 ±324	4.6% ±0.7	11.0% ±0.1	13.4% ±0.1

Poverty by age

The poverty rate is the share of people whose family income is below the federal threshold for their family’s size, of everyone for whom the Bureau determines it (B17020).

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Poverty rate in Highlands County by age, ACS 2020–2024
Age	Below poverty	Rate	Florida	United States
All ages	15,895 ±1,436	15.3% ±1.4	12.6% ±0.1	12.5% ±0.1
Under 18	2,942 ±533	17.1% ±2.9	16.5% ±0.2	16.1% ±0.1
18 to 59	6,976 ±838	16.7% ±1.9	11.5% ±0.1	11.6% ±0.1
60 and over	5,977 ±715	13.2% ±1.5	11.8% ±0.1	11.0% ±<0.1

Housing, 2020–2024

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Housing in Highlands County, ACS 2020–2024
Measure	Highlands County	Florida	United States
Housing units	58,635 ±48	10,256,470 ±942	143,775,355 ±10,234
Occupied	80.0% ±1.3	85.3% ±0.2	89.9% ±0.1
Vacant	20.0% ±1.3	14.7% ±0.2	10.1% ±0.1
Owner occupied	78.6% ±1.3	67.6% ±0.3	65.2% ±0.3
Renter occupied	21.4% ±1.5	32.4% ±0.2	34.8% ±0.1
Median home value	$187,900 ±$8,429	$359,000 ±$930	$332,700 ±$236
Median gross rent	$1,035 ±$52	$1,669 ±$5	$1,413 ±$2
Median year built	1987 ±2	1988 ±1	1980 ±1

Occupied and vacant are shares of all housing units; owner and renter occupied are shares of occupied units. Value and rent are medians in 2024 dollars.

Origin and place of birth, 2020–2024

Hispanic or Latino origin is not a race in the Census Bureau’s tables. Here the people of Hispanic origin, of any race, are one row, and everyone else is counted by race alone (B03002), so the rows add to the whole.

Hispanic origin and race

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People in Highlands County by Hispanic origin and race, ACS 2020–2024
Origin	People	Share	Florida	United States
Hispanic or Latino	23,465 ±0	22.2% ±<0.1	27.4% ±<0.1	19.3% ±<0.1
White alone, not Hispanic	66,703 ±581	63.1% ±0.5	50.4% ±<0.1	57.4% ±<0.1
Black alone, not Hispanic	9,819 ±406	9.3% ±0.4	14.6% ±<0.1	11.9% ±<0.1
Asian alone, not Hispanic	1,598 ±129	1.5% ±0.1	2.9% ±<0.1	5.9% ±<0.1
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	200 ±78	0.2% ±0.1	0.1% ±<0.1	0.5% ±<0.1
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0 to 30	0% to < 0.1%	0.1% ±<0.1	0.2% ±<0.1
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	152 to 1,084	0.1% to 1.0%	0.7% ±<0.1	0.6% ±<0.1
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3,286 ±670	3.1% ±0.6	3.8% ±0.1	4.3% ±<0.1

A range (the estimate less and plus its margin) where the Bureau's estimate is too uncertain to state as one number: a coefficient of variation over 30%.

Place of birth and citizenship

“Born a citizen outside the states” counts people born in Puerto Rico, the island areas, or abroad to American parents. Naturalized citizens and those who are not citizens together make up the people born abroad (B05002).

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People in Highlands County by place of birth and citizenship, ACS 2020–2024
Born	People	Share	Florida	United States
Born in the state	39,337 ±1,483	37.2% ±1.4	35.5% ±0.1	57.3% ±<0.1
Born in another state	50,335 ±1,484	47.6% ±1.4	38.7% ±0.1	26.9% ±<0.1
Born a citizen outside the states	4,572 ±690	4.3% ±0.7	4.0% ±0.1	1.7% ±<0.1
Born abroad	11,458 ±972	10.8% ±0.9	21.9% ±0.1	14.1% ±<0.1
Naturalized citizens	6,202 ±722	5.9% ±0.7	12.6% ±0.1	7.4% ±<0.1
Not citizens	5,256 ±699	5.0% ±0.7	9.3% ±0.1	6.8% ±<0.1

Highlands County among the counties of Florida

36th of 67 by population, July 2025. Every one is listed on the Florida page.

Counties of Florida near Highlands County in population, July 2025
County	July 2025	Change since 2020
Indian River County	172,799	+7.7%
Citrus County	171,666	+11.1%
Martin County	166,272	+4.8%
Sumter County	157,772	+21.1%
Flagler County	140,360	+21.0%
Highlands County	111,122	+9.7%
Nassau County	106,879	+17.4%
Walton County	93,288	+22.9%
Monroe County	80,406	−3.0%
Putnam County	77,734	+5.9%
Columbia County	74,094	+6.2%

Elsewhere on the site

Sources

Census Bureau population estimates — counties and Puerto Rico municipios, with components of change — U.S. Census Bureau · U.S. Government work · retrieved September 25, 2026
American Community Survey 5-year estimates — table-based Summary File · U.S. Government work

Data retrieved September 25, 2026