Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Highland Township’s best subject grades are a B+ for incomes and a B for health; its weakest is a D for walkability. 62% of the land in Highland Township is conserved, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 8.2% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 136 of Pennsylvania’s 1,717 towns score lower on civic life. Highland Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Highland Township beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Highland Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw40 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw39 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
12 mi GardenLongwood Gardens
39 mi MuseumAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel UniversityLincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Longwood Gardens: P. Hughes, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University: See below, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Highland Township, and how to reach them.
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 Highland Township.
In Highland Township, the density of trails is 0.1 miles per square mile, against 0.4 in Pennsylvania’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. 2.2 miles of trail.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Public schools: Octorara Area SD. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octorara Primary LCLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 412 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
53% of Highland Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from drought, followed by inland flooding at 19%. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 95% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Highland Township for work: only 6% work in town. Highland Township’s median household income is $97,000. The top destinations are Philadelphia (4%), Leacock Township (3%) and West Goshen Township (3%). The median commute is under 17 miles.
| Highland Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Winters in Highland Township are chilly, snowy and summers warm, with plenty of rain. Summer afternoons peak near 85° in July, and January nights bottom out around 22°; snowfall runs to about 32 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (38% statewide). Highland Township’s median age stands at 48 years. College graduates make up 29% of adults 25 and older, against 35% across Pennsylvania.
| Highland Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48 years | 43.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 20% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 21% | 18% |
Somewhere between 40% and 61% women
The Census survey reached too few of Highland Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.6 points. Across Pennsylvania, 50.7% of residents are women.
| Highland Township | PA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9% | 10.8% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.7% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.4% | 13% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.6% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 8.1% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.2% | 32.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.7% | 15.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.1% | 8.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.1% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.9% | 14.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Among adults locally, 32% have high blood pressure. In Highland Township, 18% of adults binge drink.
| Highland Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 79% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| What stands out | Highland Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 8% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Highland Township
About 5 of every 100 Highland Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Pennsylvania.
Where Highland Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Township in Pennsylvania, US
Highland Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1853 when West Fallowfield Township was divided and the division with the higher elevation was named Highland Township. The population was 1,272 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
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