Highlands County housing scorecard.
Everything Reventure charges for, free and built for Florida: home value, rent, cap rate, 5-year growth, price versus incomes, overvaluation and our 0 to 100 Momentum Market Score, from Zillow, Realtor.com and Census data.
The typical home runs about 4.2 times the local median income, which is roughly 13.8% cheaper than the Florida norm. Gross rent yield is around 7.87%. Values are up roughly 7.3% a year over the last five years. Owning the typical home at today's rate takes about 25.5% of a median income, the affordability squeeze in one number. About 25.6% of listings have cut their price.
Typical home value, last 13 months
Ten years ago the typical home here was about $103,578; today it is $233,707.
What drives the score
Each bar is this county ranked against every other Florida county (0 = lowest, 100 = highest) on that input, then weighted into the score. Higher overall = more buyer value and leverage. See the full methodology.
Momentum scores for Highlands
Three composite reads, each built from the labeled components below it (0 = lowest in Florida, 100 = highest). Every input is public and the formula is published, unlike the paywalled black-box versions elsewhere.
10-year upside from appreciation, incomes, demographics, affordability and valuation.
Rental-investor attractiveness from yield, rent growth, appreciation, demographics and valuation.
Near-term price direction signal from recent appreciation, days on market, inventory and price cuts. A momentum read, not a guaranteed forecast.
Who is moving in and out of Highlands
In 2022 to 2023, Highlands County saw 3,645 households move in and 2,904 move out, a net of +741 households (+1,558 people). The households arriving reported about $56,472 in average income versus $50,930 for those leaving, so Highlands is pulling in higher earners. Net, +$58M of annual income moved into the county.
Households approximate tax returns; people approximate exemptions; income is total adjusted gross income. Source: IRS Statistics of Income, county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023.
New construction pipeline in Highlands
In 2025, builders pulled permits for 768 new homes in Highlands County: 706 single-family and 62 in multifamily buildings. That is down 21.6% from the year before. At 7.4 permits per 1,000 residents, new supply here is above the Florida pace.
New homes permitted, 2021 to 2025
Privately-owned residential units authorized by building permits, reported plus imputed. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025.
Go deeper
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Common questions
Is Highlands County a buyer's or seller's market?
By our Momentum Market Score, Highlands County reads strong buyer value (75 out of 100), meaning it is priced low against incomes with real negotiating room. The score blends value versus local incomes, price cuts, inventory growth, affordability and rent yield.
How much is a home worth in Highlands County?
The typical home value is $233,707 (Zillow Home Value Index, 2026-06-09), up about 7.3% a year over the last five years.
Where does this data come from?
Home values and rent are from Zillow Research, days on market and listings from Realtor.com, income and population from the U.S. Census, and mortgage rates from Freddie Mac via FRED. Derived metrics and the Momentum Market Score are computed by Momentum Realty with a published methodology.
Data: Zillow Research (home value, rent), Realtor.com (days on market, listings), U.S. Census Bureau ACS (income, population), and Freddie Mac 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average [MORTGAGE30US] via FRED (rate). Momentum Market Score and derived metrics computed by Momentum Realty.
Thinking about Highlands County?
A score is the 30,000-foot view. We live here. Talk to the founders about what the number means for a specific neighborhood, street, or budget.
Talk to the founders