Highland, Ill, 1894
Highland’s story
189 years in pictures
Census counts: 704 in 1850, 9,991 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1894 and 3 maps from 1906 on.
- 1837Highland is founded
HighlandIL
A town of 10,042, founded in 1837. 89% more nonprofits per person than the typical Illinois town.
Trash day: look up yoursPopulation
10,042
2025 Census estimate · +0% since 2020
Typical home
$275K
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
41.8
years
Jobs based here
5,852
Balanced
TownGrade
A+
#56 of 767 in IL
Why does Highland grade so well?
Because it does well by almost any measure. Highland earns an A+, ranked 56th of 767 in Illinois. The median household earns $83K, its public schools beat 78% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation, and it reports less crime per resident than 76% of U.S. towns. The exception is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. 23% of working residents work locally in Highland, where Illinois’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Only 91 of Illinois’ 1,240 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest place to walk is Silver Lake Park, 97 acres with 1.9 miles of trail.
What makes Highland stand out
Where Highland beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Highland6.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IL town3.4
Civic lifeA
89% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Illinois town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Highland0.9
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
65% less violent crime than IL
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
How Highland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Highland is from typical.
Jobs & income5,852 jobs based hereA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →SafetyA−Open →HealthSt. Joseph's Hospital 1.3 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 6.4% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 5% conserved landA−Open →History12 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life4.9 library visits per resident; 6.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
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.
PowerCity of HighlandEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterHighland water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressDay by addressTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMadison County ClerkMadison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6224962249 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Highland.
Highland pairs an A+ overall with homes cheaper than the Illinois norm, has less no health insurance than most of Illinois and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
OutdoorsA−
Highland has set aside 5.3% of its land for conservation
6.1 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The trail density in Highland is 0.8 miles per square mile.
#171for trails in IL
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
5.3%
conserved · 274 of 5,208 acres
6.1 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Silver Lake Park | 1.9 mi | 97 |
| 2. Glik Park | 1.9 mi | 55 |
| 3. The Square | 0.6 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyA−
For safety, Highland earns an A−
Reported crimes fell from 85 to 41 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 9 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
Highland’s property crime rate is 3.2 per 1,000 residents.
76%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Highland0.9
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Highland3.2
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
76th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
69th
percentile among IL towns
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
32
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthA−
Highland is healthier than 75% of U.S. towns
Its widest gap with Illinois is no health insurance: 6.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 9.9% statewide.
Highland beats the Illinois average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 19% of Highland adults binge drink.
75%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 23% | 25% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
8 better22 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Highland | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.3% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.7% | 7.6% |
St. Joseph's Hospital
1.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
63rd
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Highland
Since 1987, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Highland.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 1987
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Highland, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Highland has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 22° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–42°
Spring45–66°
Summer66–86°
Fall46–68°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 6
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Highland draws in 4,732 commuters
About one in 4 of Highland’s working residents works in town. 6% of residents live below the poverty line in Highland. The top destinations are St.
23%work in town
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 11% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Highland23%
St. Louis7%
Edwardsville4%
Belleville3%
O'Fallon2%
19 mi
median commute distance
5,852
jobs based in Highland
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 52% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Highland is valued at about $275K
Highland grades A+ overall with a typical home of about $275K, below the Illinois typical value; only 48 of the 183 Illinois towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Highland home is worth about $275,000, up 6.9% in a year, 7% below the Illinois typical home.
$275KZillow home value
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $855 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 75% | 73% |
Typical home value
Highland$275K
Illinois$296K
Market temperature
40
days on market
98.6%
sale-to-list price
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
22
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
An age mix much like Illinois’s
36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
41.8median age · IL 39
| Highland | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 19% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.8 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
HighlandIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school28%
Some college21%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Highland | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.1% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.3% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.4% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.7% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.1% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.1% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highland
20pages on Highland
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 78% of IL districtsSafetyA−0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than IL on 8 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$275K typical home · up 6.9% in a yearWork & commuteA−$83K median household income · 5,852 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Highland
About 6 of every 100 Highland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
Famous people from Highland
12 notable people were born in Highland.
About Highland
City in Illinois, United States
Highland is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,991 at the 2020 census. Highland began as a Swiss settlement and derived its name from later German immigrants Highland is a sister city of Sursee in Switzerland. Highland is a part of the Metro East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 551 ft
- ZIP code
- 62249
- Area code
- 618
Questions about Highland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Highland, IL a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Highland grades A+ overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #56 of 767 in Illinois. It grades A− for health, A− for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Highland, IL expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.4 years of the area's median household income ($80,196 across the St. Louis, MO-IL 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 B+.
What is Highland, IL known for?
12 notable people were born here, including Sam LaPorta and Arlo U. Landolt.