Highlands County housing scorecard.
Everything the paid data sites charge 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 6.52% 30-year rate takes about 25.6% of a median income in principal and interest, the affordability squeeze in one number. Add the average Citizens homeowners premium (about $146 a month) and the monthly cost to own runs near $1,330, before property tax. About 25.6% of listings have cut their price.
Highlands County housing market, in one paragraph
As of 2026-06-09, in Highlands County, the typical home is worth $233,707; up about 7.3% a year over five years; typical rent is about $1,533 a month; the Momentum Market Score is 75/100 (priced low against incomes with real negotiating room); the market looks about 14% undervalued; the average Citizens insurance premium is about $1,753 a year. Data from Zillow, Realtor.com, the U.S. Census and Citizens Property Insurance; scores by Momentum Realty.
Typical home value, last 13 months
Ten years ago the typical home here was about $103,578; today it is $233,707.
Where Highlands sits
Open the full Florida market map →Highlands vs Florida average
| Metric | Highlands | FL avg |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-value score | 75 | 50 |
| Typical home value | $233,707 | $332,815 |
| Price cuts | 25.6% | 24.1% |
| Income to own | 25.6% | 30.5% |
| Cost to own / mo | $1,330/mo | $1,832/mo |
Green = the more buyer-friendly figure. “FL avg” is the unweighted mean across all 67 Florida counties. “Income to own” is principal & interest only; “cost to own” adds the average Citizens homeowners premium at the current 6.52% 30-year rate, 20% down, property tax not included.
Quick answers: is now a good time to buy in Highlands County, is it overvalued, and more.
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.
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Free housing data from Momentum Realty · Zillow, Realtor.com, Census & FRED sources.
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.
Property insurance in Highlands
Citizens, Florida's state-backed insurer of last resort, now covers 2,015 homes in Highlands County at an average premium of about $1,753 a year. A rising Citizens count is the clearest sign of where private insurers have pulled back and premiums have spiked.
Figures cover Citizens Property Insurance (the state insurer of last resort), not the whole market, so they understate total private-market premiums while precisely tracking where coverage has become hardest to get. Source: Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Policies in Force by County, April 2026.
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.
ZIP-level scorecards in Highlands County
Zoom in from the county to any ZIP for its own home value, cap rate, overvaluation and buyer-value score (7 scored ZIP codes, highest score first):
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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.
Is Highlands County housing overvalued or undervalued?
On price versus the local long-term trend and incomes, Highlands County looks about 14% undervalued, with a price-to-income ratio of 4.2x. Overvaluation compares the current typical value to its own historical relationship with local income, not to other markets.
How much is homeowners insurance in Highlands County?
The average Citizens Property Insurance premium in Highlands County is about $1,753 a year. Citizens is Florida's insurer of last resort, so its county average is a realistic floor; private quotes vary by roof age, elevation and flood zone. Insurance is now one of the largest line items in a Florida housing budget.
Is Highlands County a good place to invest in rental property?
The gross rent yield (cap-rate proxy) in Highlands County is about 7.87%, on a typical home value of $233,707 and typical rent near $1,533 a month. Run the full numbers, including taxes and insurance, in our Florida investment property calculator.
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, mortgage rates from Freddie Mac via FRED, and insurance from Citizens Property Insurance. 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.
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