Highland lake cdp nj 037, 2005
Highland Lakes’s story
75 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,888 in 1980, 4,816 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 5 maps from 1891 on.
- 1951Highland Lakes is settled
Highland LakesNJ
With 3,852 residents, this town was settled in 1951.
Photo: Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
3,852
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$295K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
53.4
years
Jobs based here
210
A commuter town
Is Highland Lakes a good place to live?
Highland Lakes’ average trip to work is 44 minutes, against 30 minutes in New Jersey’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 469 New Jersey towns, just one has a lower peak summer temperature than Highland Lakes. 27% of the land in Highland Lakes is conserved, against 11% in New Jersey’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. We don’t grade Highland Lakes yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Highland Lakes for work
Where Highland Lakes’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
210jobs based in Highland Lakes
2%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Nearby attractions
All 599 attractions →United States Military Academy and 395 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland Lakes. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi MuseumUnited States Military Academy
Big draw37 mi City parkCentral Park40.0M visitors a year
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaMadison Square Garden
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaMetLife Stadium
Big draw38 mi TheatreStudio 54
Big draw38 mi MuseumMetropolitan Museum of Art2.0M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
United States Military Academy: USMA Public Affairs Office, Public domain · Central Park: Ed Yourdon from New York City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Madison Square Garden: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 · MetLife Stadium: babyknight, CC BY 2.0 · Studio 54: Americasroof (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Metropolitan Museum of Art: Hugo Schneider, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Highland Lakes: who provides what
Highland Lakes is unincorporated, so Sussex County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerJCP&L18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVeolia Water New Jersey Highland LakesNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSussex CountySussex County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn New Jersey you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSussex County ClerkSussex County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2017
ZIP codes07422, 0746207422 90% · 07462 10%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 Lakes.
Outdoors
Highland Lakes has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
3.0 miles of trail. Highland Lakes’ density of trails stands at 0.6 miles per square mile.
26.8%conserved
26.8%
conserved · 850 of 3,172 acres
3.0 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Highland Lakes’ workers commute out
Highland Lakes had 210 jobs in 2023, up 83 from 2013. For most workers, Highland Lakes is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Among residents locally, 2.7% live below the poverty line. Half commute less than 22 miles.
2%work in town
| Highland Lakes | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 6.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Highland Lakes2%
Vernon Township11%
New York4%
Wayne Township4%
West Milford Township2%
22 mi
median commute distance
210
jobs based in Highland Lakes
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
A older population than New Jersey as a whole
Half of Highland Lakes adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. People 65 and older are 27% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 13% of residents (22% statewide). Highland Lakes’ age of the median resident comes in at 53.4 years.
53.4median age · NJ 40.1
| Highland Lakes | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.4 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 50% | 45% | 29% |
Highland LakesNew JerseyUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma1%
High school25%
Some college16%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s33%
Graduate17%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across New Jersey, 50.8% of residents are women.
| Highland Lakes | NJ | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.6% | 8.4% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 12.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.2% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.4% | 7.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.4% | 9.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.6% | 25.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 15% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.1% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 33.3% | 26.1% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17% | 17.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,900, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Highland Lakes
Only 2 of the 469 New Jersey towns we compare have a lower January low than Highland Lakes. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–79°
Fall42–61°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Highland Lakes is inland flooding, at a low overall level
FEMA puts two fifths of Highland Lakes’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 35% to cold waves. Compared with 63% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. This New Jersey town has had 6 paid flood insurance claims since 1984.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
6
paid flood claims since 1984
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Highland Lakes is
The share of adults in Highland Lakes who have been diagnosed with depression: 19%. The town beats the New Jersey average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Two figures for adults locally: 18% get no exercise outside work, 8.3% have diabetes.
| Highland Lakes | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 28% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 9.7% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 23% |
32 measures vs. New Jersey
12 better18 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Highland Lakes | NJ |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.7% | 14.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.4% | 11.3% |
| More adults with depression | 18.6% | 15.1% |
Chilton Medical Center
16.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
The median home in Highland Lakes sells for about $400K
In Highland Lakes, the going rate for rent is $2,169 a month. 93% of households own their home locally. On the market locally: a median 28 days to sell.
$400Kmedian sale price
| Highland Lakes | New Jersey towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,169 a month | $1,778 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 93% | 77% | 73% |
Market temperature
28
days on market
103.1%
sale-to-list price
10
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highland Lakes
17pages on Highland Lakes
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Highland Lakes; the nearest are
Ramapo College of New JerseyUniversity or college · Public · Mahwah16.3 mi$16,777 in-state tuitionSussex County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Newton16.9 mi$5,544 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Highland Lakes residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Jersey.
About Highland Lakes
Populated place in Sussex County, New Jersey, US
Highland Lakes is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Vernon Township, in Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, Highland Lakes had a population of 4,816. Highland Lakes has its own Post Office with the ZIP Code 07422.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,276 ft
- ZIP code
- 07422
Questions about Highland Lakes
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Highland Lakes, NJ a good place to live?
We don’t grade Highland Lakes yet; the figures below are still real.