CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.05° N · 87.56° W · GEOID 1833484

Highland

Vanderburgh County, Indiana · part of the Evansville, IN metro

IndianaHighland, INHighlandHighland

The short answer

Highland is home to 5,114 people. Median household income is $98,002 a year and median rent is $1,695 a month, 20.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $240,400, about 2.5x annual median household income.

Highland stands out on value for money. Rent run 46% above what its fundamentals predict in Indiana. Also notable: Owning with a mortgage costs about $314 a month less than the median rent, a rarer pattern than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 132 Indiana places we track.

60OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Highland scores better than 60% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 75th of 132 in Indiana.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%69
Economy 20%67
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%0
Education 10%50
Commute 10%79
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,695
24% above the median place
Median household income
$98,002
22% above the median place
Median home value
$240,400
25% below the median place
Unemployment
4.2%
15% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Highland

  • How it is changingRent rose 9.2% a year while household income rose 5.7% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by more than in 80% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Life nearbyOpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Indiana places we track.
01

Moving to Highland

Vanderburgh County loses about 2.6 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,114
Moved out7,496
Net−382

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Warrick County, IN1,3711,716−345
Marion County, IN129243−114
Spencer County, IN117

Within Indiana, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IndianaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$50K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Vanderburgh County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.4% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Vanderburgh County report $50,500 a year in income on average; those leaving, $59,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$67,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,695 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,381 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $240,400.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 6.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Satsuma, AL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in7
$50,483
28% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$58,967
16% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.4%
29% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.4%29% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.4%19% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-2.6333% below
Income of households moving in7County figure$50,48328% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$58,96716% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 91.1%, 37% above the median place.

Highland20.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$67,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.8%
2% above the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
36% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$80,400
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Highland, $1,695 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Highland, but easier on the budget

Places that match Highland on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Satsuma, AL9415.4% vs 20.8%$10,700Compare
Lake Holiday, IL9316.6% vs 20.8%n/aCompare
Mount Zion, IL928.6% vs 20.8%$19,000Compare
Northford, CT9216.1% vs 20.8%$7,400Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Highland.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Highland? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
91.1%
37% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,381
26% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,917
41% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,69524% above
Rent to income120.8%2% above
Property tax rate10.8%12% below
Home price to income12.5x36% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure91.59% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,12730% below
HUD area median income4County figure$93,00013% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,91741% below
Median home value1$240,40025% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%20% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure48.0%7% below
Homeownership191.1%37% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure47.9%5% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,38126% below
Vacant homes1County figure8.3%17% above
Median year built119840% above
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 6.3%, 49% below the median place.

Works from home1
6.3%
49% below the median place
Mean commute1
20 min
19% below the median place
Median household income1
$98,002
22% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$98,00222% above
Income per person1$40,7482% above
Unemployment1County figure4.2%15% below
Average annual pay6County figure$59,47210% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.2%14% above
Jobs6County figure107,42929% below
Poverty rate1County figure14.3%32% above
Mean commute120 min19% below
Works from home16.3%49% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.9%1% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 45.9, 18% above the median place.

Median age1
45.9
18% above the median place
High school or higher1
96.6%
5% above the median place
Household size1
2.6
6% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,1146555th largest
Median age145.918% above
Bachelor's or higher131.9%0% below
High school or higher196.6%5% above
Household size12.66% above
Born abroad1County figure3.5%60% below
No health insurance1County figure6.9%8% above
Homes with broadband191.4%1% below
05

Life in Highland

OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 95% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Indiana places we track.

99 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial 31 miles
  • George Rogers Clark National Historical Park 44 miles
  • Mammoth Cave National Park 100 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.2 +21%
Shops41.1 +36%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.6 +12%
Doctors' offices and clinics28.1 +39%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
31.1
1% above the median place
Shops per 10k8
41.1
36% above the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
28.1
39% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure42367% above
Public school students12County figure22,423358% above
Students per teacher12County figure14.65% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure25.221% above
Shops per 10k8County figure41.136% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.612% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure28.139% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1031.11% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings11County figure99above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 31.2, 49% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Highland. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
31.2
49% below the median place
Tornado risk14
95.9
18% above the median place
Hurricane risk14
42.9
39% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureHighlandAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure88°F1% above
January average low13County figure25°F1% below
Average temperature13County figure57°F3% above
Annual precipitation13County figure48.1 in10% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure91.31% below
Hurricane risk14County figure42.939% below
Tornado risk14County figure95.918% above
Wildfire risk14County figure31.249% below
Heat wave risk14County figure93.44% above
Median air quality index15County figure479% above
Good air days15County figure59.5%13% below
08

Highland in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, up from 21% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Highland does better than 68% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 37%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,695/mo (2024)$2,210/mo$1,820 to $2,700/mo+4.5%
Median household income$98,002 (2024)$124,500$105,500 to $147,500+4.1%
Median home value$240,400 (2024)$342,000$248,000 to $471,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Highland

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Palmyra, NJ$1,696$89,574Compare
Middletown, PA$1,545$97,607Compare
Oxon Hill, MD$1,721$93,252Compare
Oakbrook, KY$1,665$94,652Compare
Oakbrook, KYOxon Hill, MDMiddletown, PAPalmyra, NJHighland, INHighlandPalmyraMiddletownOxon HillHighlandPalmyraMiddletownOxon Hill

Places built like Highland

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Highland performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Highland, IN20.8%5.7%/yrn/a
Lake Holiday, IL16.6%4.7%/yrn/aCompare
Fort Shawnee, OH13.7%4.6%/yrn/aCompare
Lakes of the Four Seasons, IN16.6%5.9%/yrn/aCompare
Mount Zion, IL8.6%3.8%/yr-2.2%Compare
Coal City, IL18.5%-0.5%/yr2.1%Compare
Delhi Hills, OH18.7%1.4%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Highland a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 60 out of 100, better than 60% of the places we rate and 75th of 132 in Indiana. Rent rose 9.2% a year while household income rose 5.7% between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent outran pay by more than in 80% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 84% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Indiana places we track. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Highland expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $240,400.

What salary do you need to live in Highland?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $67,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Highland?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Palmyra, NJ, Middletown, PA, Oxon Hill, MD and Oakbrook, KY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Highland with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Highland itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/highland-vanderburgh-county-indiana

Citytistics. “Highland, Indiana.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/highland-vanderburgh-county-indiana/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.