Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Highland Park grades B+ overall, ranked 71st of 640 in Texas. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. Its public schools beat 97% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation and the median household earns $250K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $3.0 million for a typical one and 33.6 times the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. 88% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Highland Park, where Texas’ towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 4 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on history.
Where Highland Park beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Highland Park | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 19.3% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Bradfield El | PK–4 | 578 |
| Armstrong El | PK–4 | 431 |
Highland Park Shopping Village4.4% of the town is conserved land, across 12 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Highland Park is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Highland Park Shopping Village is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,321 in 1920, 8,864 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 6 maps from 1931 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland Park. Close and well known come first.
Big draw4 mi Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaAT&T Stadium
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaGlobe Life Field
in town Stadium & arenaGerald J. Ford Stadium
17 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over TexasCotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · AT&T Stadium: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Globe Life Field: Drone To Fly, CC BY 3.0 · Gerald J. Ford Stadium: Jmcstrav, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Six Flags Over Texas: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Highland Park, 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 Park.
Highland Park is among the three healthiest towns in Texas, has schools in the top 5% of Texas and draws workers from Dallas and beyond.
At 33.6 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income, the typical home (about $3.03M) costs more against local pay than in any other Texas town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Values rose 7.5% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
Highland Park’s median rent is $1,940 a month. Typical home values rose 7.5% in the year to September 2026. 89% of Highland Park households own their home.
| Highland Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,940 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 89% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #3 of the 642 Texas towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $3.03M.
Its public schools are run by Highland Park ISD. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradfield ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 578 | A+ |
| Armstrong ElTop results in townGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 431 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
4.8 miles of trail in 12 parks and preserves. The trail density in Highland Park is 2.2 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Lakeside Park, at 23 acres.
| Highland Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flippen Park | 0.3 mi | 2 |
| 2. Lakeside Park | — | 23 |
| 3. Davis Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
It ranks #3 of the 641 Texas towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Highland Park’s, it is healthier than 72%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
5.7% of adults smoke cigarettes in Highland Park. Only 1 of the 641 Texas towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Highland Park. 16% of adults get no exercise outside work in Highland Park.
| Highland Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 39% | 36% |
| What stands out | Highland Park | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 19.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 19.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6,100 jobs are based in Highland Park, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 20 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Among 642 Texas towns, just 6 have a higher median household income than Highland Park. Jobs based in Highland Park grew to 6,100 in 2023, 2,773 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Highland Park for work: only 4% work in town.
| Highland Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Dallas Love Fld weather station records that about 108 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36°.
Highland Park has mild winters and hot summers. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Highland Park | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 21 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Highland Park.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
25 within 15 miles of the center of Highland Park
About 5 of every 100 Highland Park residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
Where Highland Park’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Texas, United States
Highland Park is a town in central Dallas County, Texas, United States, with a population estimated to be 8,719 in 2022, dropping from the previously recorded 8,864 in 2020. It is located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 (North Central Expressway), 4 miles (6 km) north of downtown Dallas. Highland Park is bordered on the south, east and west by Dallas and on the north by the city of University Park. Highland Park and University Park together comprise the Park Cities, an enclave of Dallas. Highland Park has been referred to as "a 2.2-square-mile residential island city".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Highland Park.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park | #71 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| University Park | #9 | A | D− | B | A+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Highland Park grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #71 of 640 in Texas. It grades A+ for health, C for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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