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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Highlands, NC Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q2 2024. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Highlands, NC Housing Market Trends

With a population of 1,097, 709 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $987,062, Highlands house prices are not only among the most expensive in North Carolina, Highlands real estate also is some of the most expensive in all of America.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Highlands, accounting for 73.90% of the town's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Highlands include duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 12.14%), large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 8.40%), and a few mobile homes or trailers ( 4.66%).

The most prevalent building size and type in Highlands are three and four bedroom dwellings, chiefly found in single-family detached homes. The town has a mixture of owners and renters, with 56.39% owning and 43.61% renting.

There is a lot of housing in Highlands built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Highlands built between 1940-1969 ( 22.84%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 2000 and later ( 11.42%). There's also some housing in Highlands built before 1939 ( 4.66%).

A decent proportion of the Highlands housing stock is seasonally occupied. That is, homes and condos in Highlands are occupied by people for a portion of the year - mainly for vacation purposes - and then locked up and left unoccupied for the remainder of the year as owners return to their primary residences. This characteristic of the Highlands housing market speaks to its popularity as a vacation location of choice.

Highlands Home Appreciation Rates

In the last 10 years, Highlands has experienced some of the highest home appreciation rates of any community in the nation. Highlands real estate appreciated 144.62% over the last ten years, which is an average annual home appreciation rate of 9.36%, putting Highlands in the top 10% nationally for real estate appreciation. If you are a home buyer or real estate investor, Highlands definitely has a track record of being one of the best long term real estate investments in America through the last ten years.

Appreciation rates are so strong in Highlands that despite a nationwide downturn in the housing market, Highlands real estate has continued to appreciate in value faster than most communities. Looking at just the latest twelve months, Highlands appreciation rates continue to be some of the highest in America, at 13.12%, which is higher than appreciation rates in 95.62% of the cities and towns in the nation. Based on the last twelve months, short-term real estate investors have found good fortune in Highlands. Highlands appreciation rates in the latest quarter were at 1.46%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of 5.95%.

Relative to North Carolina, our data show that Highlands's latest annual appreciation rate is higher than 90% of the other cities and towns in North Carolina.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$987,062

Highlands Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$1,326 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
56.4%
56.4%
43.6%
43.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
71.5%
71.5%
28.5%
28.5%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
11.4%
11.4%
61.1%
61.1%
22.8%
22.8%
4.7%
4.7%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
73.9%
73.9%
0.9%
0.9%
12.1%
12.1%
8.4%
8.4%
4.7%
4.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
5.2%
5.2%
5.8%
5.8%
29.0%
29.0%
42.1%
42.1%
16.1%
16.1%
1.8%
1.8%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Popular Neighborhoods in Highlands

Zip Codes in Highlands, NC