Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Strong in places, weak in others. Its weakest subject is health: residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Walkability is where it shines (A−): it is more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. A typical home there costs about $259K, 3 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income. Overall, that makes a C, better than nearly a third of U.S. towns. The ranking puts it 204th of 249 in Virginia. Highland Springs has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Mankin Mansion and Henrico Theatre. 19% of residents live below the poverty line here, against 7.7% in Virginia’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Highland Springs is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Highland Springs beats most towns.
Henrico TheatreCensus counts: 3,171 in 1950, 16,604 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 7 maps from 1894 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Where Highland Springs’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Ordered by what stands out in Highland Springs.
Highland Springs has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Virginia rate.
Households in Highland Springs have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2004. On expected storm and flood damage, Highland Springs sits below 91% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 47% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 16% to earthquakes.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The largest public high school is Highland Springs High, with 1,928 students. The public schools here belong to the Henrico County Public Schools. Two of the 8 schools are below, and why each made the list.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Springs ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 469 | D− |
| Highland Springs HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,928 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Highland Springs: 15% of adults report frequent physical distress. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Highland Springs is ahead of Virginia on 2 and behind on 20. Among 253 Virginia towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who worry about having enough food than Highland Springs.
| Highland Springs | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 16% |
| What stands out | Highland Springs | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6% | 7.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 14.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 14.6% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 3 years of the Richmond metro’s $87K median household income, the typical home (about $259K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of Virginia towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Home values rose 41% in five years, to about $259K, against 23% across Virginia.
Homes sold in Highland Springs spent a median 20 days on the market. The typical home value locally is about $259,000, up 2.2% in a year, 37% below the Virginia typical home. The share of households in Highland Springs who live in a home they own: 61%.
| Highland Springs | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,269 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The top destinations are Richmond (24%), Mechanicsville (4%) and Sandston (4%). Highland Springs’ middle household income stands at $58,000. Half commute less than 11 miles. 2.3% of working residents work locally here.
| Highland Springs | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
For Highland Springs, the typical July afternoon high is 90°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.2 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robinson Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 2. The Springs Recreation Center | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Highland Springs. Close and well known come first.
7 mi LandmarkHollywood Cemetery
21 mi Theme parkKings Dominion
6 mi MuseumWhite House of the Confederacy
7 mi LandmarkRobert E. Lee Monument
6 mi Stadium & arenaRichmond Coliseum
40 mi MuseumColonial WilliamsburgHollywood Cemetery: Andrew Bain, Public domain · Kings Dominion: Erechtheus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White House of the Confederacy: AlbertHerring, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert E. Lee Monument: Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Richmond Coliseum: Mentes at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Colonial Williamsburg: Humberto Moreno, CC BY 2.0
Highland Springs is unincorporated, so Henrico 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 Sep 30, 2026.
9 within 15 miles of the center of Highland Springs
About 4 of every 100 Highland Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
6 notable people were born in Highland Springs.
Census-designated place in Virginia
Highland Springs is a census-designated place (CDP) located in Henrico County, Virginia, United States, 4.3 miles (7 km) east of Richmond. The population was 16,604 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Highland Springs.
| Town | VA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Springs | #204 | C | B− | — | C+ | C− |
| East Highland Park | #192 | C+ | B− | — | C+ | C |
Highland Springs and East Highland Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Highland Springs with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Highland Springs grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #204 of 249 in Virginia. It grades C− for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
Highland Springs has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 6 notable people were born here, including Mekhi Becton and Macho Harris.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.
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