Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The city has 102,257 residents and lies in Colorado.
Highlands Ranch does the important things well, at a cost. The city grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 3rd of 158 in Colorado. Health is its strong suit (A+). Schools are a strength too (A): its schools rank ahead of 92% of Colorado towns. The trade-off is cost of living (C−): the typical home is worth about $689K, 6.5 years of the Denver metro’s $106K median household income. Highlands Ranch’s middle household income is $159,000, where Colorado’s towns sit at $95,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. On hazard risk, just 17 of Colorado’s 218 towns do better.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index.
Where Highlands Ranch beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Highlands Ranch | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 11.1% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Franklin Academy | PK–8 | 956 |
| Northridge Elementary School | PK–6 | 560 |
| Coyote Creek Elementary School | PK–6 | 506 |
Where Highlands Ranch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Colorado), ordered by how far Highlands Ranch is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 10,181 in 1990, 105,631 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 6 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highlands Ranch. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi TheatreRed Rocks Amphitheatre
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaEmpower Field at Mile High
15 mi Stadium & arenaBall Arena
15 mi Stadium & arenaCoors Field
7 mi LandmarkColumbine Memorial
15 mi Theme parkElitch Gardens Theme ParkRed Rocks Amphitheatre: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Empower Field at Mile High: Thelastcanadian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ball Arena: KM Newnham, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Coors Field: Matt Kozlowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbine Memorial: Denverjeffrey, CC BY 3.0 · Elitch Gardens Theme Park: USGS, Public domain
Highlands Ranch is unincorporated, so Douglas County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Highlands Ranch.
Highlands Ranch has less no health insurance than most of Colorado, has home values still below their peak and pairs an A for schools with high home prices.
Its widest gap with Colorado is no health insurance: 5.5% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 11.1% statewide.
In Highlands Ranch, 6.7% of adults have diabetes. Of 26 CDC measures, Highlands Ranch beats the Colorado average on 14 and trails it on 1. Among adults in the town, 9.4% report frequent physical distress and 7.4% smoke cigarettes.
| Highlands Ranch | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 30% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.4% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 25% |
| What stands out | Highlands Ranch | CO |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5% | 9.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 7.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
That grade comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $689K.
Public schools: Douglas County School District No. Re 1. Three of the 32 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Heights Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,129 | A |
| Rock Canyon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,325 | A+ |
| Northridge Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 560 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CO on state tests and graduation
The trail density in Highlands Ranch is 1.6 miles per square mile. 39 miles of trail in 50 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Dad Clark Park, 232 acres with 2.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dad Clark Park | 2.9 mi | 232 |
| 2. Highlands Ranch Historic Park | 1.4 mi | 49 |
| 3. West Big Dry Natural Area | 1.1 mi | 125 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here grew from 21,396 in 2013 to 28,631. 33% of workers work from home, against 21% across Colorado.
Jobs in Highlands Ranch grew by 7,235 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 28,631. Just nearly a tenth of the town’s working residents have a job in town. 33% of Highlands Ranch workers work from home. Half of commuters travel less than 11 miles.
| Highlands Ranch | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $159,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 8.5% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Two fifths of Highlands Ranch’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 19%.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical value, about $689K, is 8% below its June 2022 peak.
Among 151 Colorado towns, just 10 have a higher median rent than Highlands Ranch. The typical Highlands Ranch home is worth about $689,000, down 1.5% in a year, 30% above the Colorado typical home. On the market in the town: a median 27 days to sell.
| Highlands Ranch | Colorado towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,531 a month | $1,807 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 71% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 50% | 53% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The range runs from 20° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 64 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
14 within 15 miles of the center of Highlands Ranch
About 5 of every 100 Highlands Ranch residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Colorado.
10 notable people were born in Highlands Ranch.
Unincorporated community in Colorado, US
Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined the community as a census-designated place (CDP) as a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population of the Highlands Ranch CDP was 105,631 at the 2020 census, making it the largest community in Douglas County and the most populous unincorporated community in Colorado. The Highlands Ranch Metropolitan District provides services to the community, which lies in ZIP Codes 80126, 80129, 80130, and 80163 (for post office boxes).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Highlands Ranch.
| Town | CO rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands Ranch | #3 | A+ | C− | — | A | A+ |
| Littleton | #54 | B+ | C− | C− | A+ | A+ |
| Lone Tree | #70 | B | D | D− | A | A+ |
| Acres Green | #2 | A+ | C+ | — | A | A |
| Centennial | #36 | A− | C− | C+ | A | A+ |
Highlands Ranch and Acres Green report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Highlands Ranch with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Highlands Ranch grades A+ overall, better than 96% of U.S. towns and #3 of 158 in Colorado. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
