Santa Ana River Bridge, 2007
Highland’s story
135 years in pictures
Census counts: 12,669 in 1970, 56,999 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 7 maps from 1899 on.
- 1891Highland is settled
Photo: Luzonensis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
57,614
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$539K
+1.9% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
5,960
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#597 of 841 in CA
Is Highland a good place to live?
Highland grades D overall, 597th of 841 graded towns in California. One bright spot: it has 37 miles of trail. Highland’s July high is 97°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 77 of California’s 1,064 towns do worse. Highland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns.
What makes Highland stand out
Where Highland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Highland for work
Where Highland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
5,960jobs based in Highland
3%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Highland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Highland is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.2 of 20; 3.9% of households have no carB+Open →HealthRedlands Community Hospital 5.5 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & income$77K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors22% conserved landA−Open →History2 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life1.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 98° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market30 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.5; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 123 attractions →Mount San Antonio and 40 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland. Close and well known come first.
30 mi MountainMount San Antonio
20 mi MountainSan Gorgonio Mountain
14 mi LakeBig Bear Lake
23 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Arena
35 mi MountainSan Jacinto Peak
18 mi LandmarkRiverside National CemeterySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount San Antonio: The original uploader was Tillman at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · San Gorgonio Mountain: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Big Bear Lake: H.G. Judd, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Toyota Arena: jondoeforty1, CC BY 2.0 · San Jacinto Peak: Wattewyl, CC BY 3.0 · Riverside National Cemetery: Sigris Lopez, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Highland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Highland, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEast Valley Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
SchoolsRedlands Unified School DistrictSan Bernardino City Unified School District2 districts serve Highland; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Bernardino Registrar of VotersSan Bernardino County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes92346, 92410, 9240492346 76% · 92410 19% · 92404 5%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Highland.
Highland has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to San Bernardino and beyond, but it has many renters stretched by housing costs.
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 22.5% of Highland
Highland’s trail density is 2.0 miles per square mile. San Bernardino National Forest, at 693 acres with 5.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#162for trails in CA
22.5%
conserved · 2,676 of 11,906 acres
37 mi
of trails · 2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Bernardino National Forest | 5.1 mi | 693 |
| 2. Aurantia Park | 0.7 mi | 13 |
| 3. City of Highland Community Park | 0.5 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB−
Highland’s public schools trail 52% of California districts
Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
48%of CA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beattie MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,072 | – |
| Entrepreneur HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 528 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Highland
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 99% of U.S. communities. Since 2010, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Highland.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
8
paid flood claims since 2010
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most working residents commute out of Highland
Highland has 5,960 jobs for its 23,294 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 4,519 in 2013 to 5,960.
Most working residents leave Highland for work: only 3% work in town. 17% of Highland residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Highland grew to 5,960 in 2023, 1,441 more than in 2013.
3%work in town
| Highland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Highland3%
San Bernardino19%
Redlands8%
Riverside5%
Los Angeles4%
14 mi
median commute distance
5,960
jobs based in Highland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 73% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Highland are worth about $539K, by Zillow’s estimate
67.4% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 55.3% across California.
The typical Highland home is worth about $539,000, up 1.9% in a year, 29% below the California typical home. The median rent in Highland is $1,629 a month.
$539KZillow home value
| Highland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,629 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 64% | 73% |
Typical home value
Highland$539K
California$762K
Market temperature
30
days on market
100.4%
sale-to-list price
+1.9%
value change, 1 year
29
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Highland, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Redlands weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 329 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. The Redlands weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 104 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Highland has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 97°, January nights drop to 41° and snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–66°
Spring48–76°
Summer61–95°
Fall52–83°
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Highland is less healthy than 64% of U.S. towns
Highland beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 27% of adults worry about having enough food in Highland.
36%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Highland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 69% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 33% |
32 measures vs. California
1 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Highland | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.2% | 10.6% |
Redlands Community Hospital
5.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
27th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Highland
Highland's reported crime rate is below California's. 276 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Highland | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Highland4.9
California4.4
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Highland10.5
California18.2
U.S.15.5
276
violent crimes reported in 2025
591
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highland
20pages on Highland
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 52% of CA districts · 10 schoolsSafety4.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than CA on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingD$539K typical home · up 1.9% in a yearWork & commuteC+$77K median household income · 5,960 jobs hereNatural hazardsD−FEMA risk higher than 99% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
9 within 15 miles of the center of Highland
University of RedlandsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Redlands3.4 mi$60,878 tuitionSan Bernardino Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Bernardino8.6 mi$1,196 in-state tuitionCalifornia State University-San BernardinoUniversity or college · Public · San Bernardino10.2 mi$8,093 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Highland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About Highland
City in California, United States
Highland (inc. East Highlands) is a city in the Inland Empire region of San Bernardino County, California, United States located 65 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles and roughly 50 miles west of Palm Springs, California. The city's population, inclusive to its neighboring East Highlands community was 56,999 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,309 ft
- ZIP code
- 92346
- Area code
- 909
Highland’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Highland.
San BernardinoRedlandsHighland
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | #597 | D | D | — | B− | C+ |
| San Bernardino | #766 | D− | C− | D− | C+ | C− |
| Redlands | #360 | C | D− | C− | B+ | A− |
Highland reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Highland with a neighbor →
Questions about Highland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Highland, CA a good place to live?
Highland grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #597 of 841 in California. It grades C+ for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Highland, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 6 years of the area's median household income ($89,662 across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is Highland, CA known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Charles E. Young and Frank Gabler.