Map the Block › Places › Florida › Highlands County
What are the crime rate and median income in Highlands County, Florida?
The violent-crime rate in Highlands County was 0.20 per 1,000 residents (2021-2025 average, FBI), 93% lower than the statewide rate (2.9). The median household earns $54,897 and the unemployment rate was 6.8% in August 2026. It is home to roughly 105,702 residents.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Highlands County?
From 2021 through 2025, Highlands County averaged 23 reported violent crimes a year, along with 151 property crimes. That is 0.20 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 93% lower than the Florida rate (2.9), and 94% lower than the U.S. rate (3.7). Burglary, theft and car theft together come to 1.3 per 1,000 residents, compared with 14.4 across Florida. CDC death records show about 7 homicide deaths a year in the county (6.6 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Highlands County | Per 1,000 | Florida per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 23 | 0.20 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 2 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 2 | 0.02 | 0.30 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 6 | 0.05 | 0.39 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 13 | 0.12 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 151 | 1.3 | 14.4 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 17 | 0.15 | 1.6 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 128 | 1.1 | 11.7 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 6 | 0.05 | 1.1 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (3 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Highlands County?
The median household in Highlands County earns $54,897 a year, 26% lower than the Florida median ($74,568). Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $187,900, and the median rent is $1,035 a month. 15.7% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.6%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,478 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Highlands County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 105,702 | 22,416,077 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $54,897 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $187,900 | $359,000 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,035 | $1,669 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 6.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 15.3% | 12.6% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 15.7% | 12.6% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 34.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 78.6% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 54.4 | 42.6 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 86.7% | 91.6% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 13.8% | 11.5% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Highlands County?
Highlands County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists no Superfund site in Highlands County, active or completed (October 2026).
High-hazard dams
Highlands County has 1 dam classed as high hazard in the National Inventory of Dams. None is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory; 1 is rated Satisfactory or Fair. The tallest is G-90 (15 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
7 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 81,467 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Highlands County was covered by 5 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Hurricane 4, Tropical Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 29 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 3 (low). NHTSA counted 22 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 2 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in Highlands County?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Highlands County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel. The map's layer refreshes every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Highlands County?
Federal school lists show 24 public and 10 private schools in the county. 5 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 17 fire or EMS stations and 3 police or sheriff stations. 2 state parks or recreation areas: Highlands Hammock State Park and Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in Highlands County?
Census tribal areas that reach into Highlands County: Miccosukee Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land.
Tribal areas are Census statistical boundaries, shown for reference; they are not legal boundaries.
See them on the map: tribal lands →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Highlands County
Gun shops
11 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Highlands County, plus 16 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). 4 of them are pawnshops licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Capital Pawn (Sebring), Central Pawn LLC (Lake Placid), Entocon INC (Avon Park), Montana Jones INC (Sebring), Rural King (Sebring), Sebring Pawn INC (Sebring), Spray And Pray Reloading (Sebring), Triangle Hardware (Sebring) and 3 more.
Liquor stores
6 liquor stores are on the map in Highlands County: ABC Liquors #148 (Sebring), Publix Liquor Store #1347 (Sebring), Publix Liquor Store #1517 (Sebring), Publix Liquors #1547 (Lake Placid), Winn-Dixie Liquor 2549 (Lake Placid) and Winn-Dixie Liquors #688 (Sebring).
Planned Parenthood
There is no Planned Parenthood health center in Highlands County on the map.
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Highlands County?
Highlands County averaged 23 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 0.20 per 1,000 residents, 93% lower than the Florida rate (2.9). The property-crime rate was 1.3 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Highlands County?
$54,897 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $74,568 for Florida and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Highlands County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 6.8% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 2,478 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Highlands County?
Highlands County carries a “Relatively Moderate” overall rating in FEMA's National Risk Index. Among the hazards we show, the highest-rated are hurricanes (Relatively High).
Is there road construction in Highlands County right now?
The state DOT feed had no interstate, U.S. or state highway work zones in Highlands County on October 11, 2026. Some states publish only part of their road work in open feeds, so check the state's 511 site before you travel.
How many nursing homes are in Highlands County?
5 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Highlands County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte County | 201,064 | 1.1 | $69,952 |
| DeSoto County | 35,386 | 3.5 | $54,417 |
| Glades County | 12,563 | 1.3 | $45,870 |
| Hardee County | 25,675 | 2.7 | $60,489 |
| Okeechobee County | 40,816 | 3.1 | $57,984 |
| Osceola County | 427,415 | 2.9 | $72,637 |
| Polk County | 790,694 | 2.6 | $65,978 |
More: Florida statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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